Planners envision bicycle/pedestrian bridge that would be functional, draw tourists
A national firm is providing a pro-bono assist with the design of a 650-foot pedestrian and bike span over the Cedar River that would use piers from the old Rock Island Railroad bridge that was destroyed in the 2008 flood.
The so-called “Sleeping Giant” would link the Cedar River Trail near Mount Trashmore to the south edge of the New Bohemia entertainment district, where it would be incorporated into redevelopment.
“The design will be determined by what can be an attractive passage, iconic for the neighborhood, and draw attention to all that is going on in the efforts of flood recovery in that area,” said Steve Sovern, a lawyer and mediator who is leading the project for the Southside Investment Board, a group organized to revitalize Cedar Rapids post-flood.
Architects with HNTB of Kansas City, Mo., and Iowa-based Shive-Hattery met with about 25 developers, trail advocates and neighborhood leaders this week to hone the design. An early concept suggested two interweaving bridges — one for bikes and a second for pedestrians — but the new thinking is for a single bridge with an artistic flair.