Stage 1 Fire Restriction Activated
Due to elevated fire danger, the City of Phoenix has implemented Stage 1 Fire Restrictions.
All consumer fireworks are prohibited within one mile of mountain preserves, desert parks, regional parks, conservation areas, national forests, and wilderness areas.
City of Phoenix official website
The Phoenix Street Transportation Department is in the early design phase for the city's first and only dedicated bicycle and pedestrian bridge across the Rio Salado (Salt River). The bridge will provide a seamless, safe and comfortable connection point.
The scope of this project consists of constructing a bridge across the Rio Salado River generally along the 3rd Street alignment. The riverbank trails along the southern bank will also be improved through the addition of low-emitting solar pedestrian-scale lighting and pathway amenities between Central Avenue and 40th Street.
A public meeting to provide a project update to the community was held at Burton Barr Central Library on July 9, 2024 at 5 p.m. An online community survey to gather input about the design concepts was available in English and Spanish from July 9 through July 28, 2024. Thank you to those who participated in the public meeting and survey. Click the video posted above to watch the presentation from the public meeting. Please follow this page for project updates.
The Phoenix Street Transportation Department is working on two projects that would provide a comfortable, low-stress connection for residents walking or riding bicycles from downtown Phoenix to or across the Rio Salado.
The 3rd Street Rio Salado Bike/Pedestrian Bridge will be funded thanks to a U.S. Department of Transportation RAISE grant. The grant was awarded to the city in August 2022.
Both projects were identified as part of the Transportation 2050 (T2050) Mobility Program and were assigned high priority for the South Downtown Neighborhoods Mobility Study Area.
The initial planning phase included a feasibility study and project assessment that was funded by the Maricopa Association of Government (MAG) in 2021. Five types of bridges were evaluated from which three designs ultimately emerged for consideration.
The project is currently in the design phase, which will continue through summer 2026. Several environmental and geotechnical studies will be conducted at the same time as the design process.
Viewing Tips: When viewing with a mobile device, move the device and move around with your device to experience the bridge in virtual reality. If viewing on a desktop, click and drag the cursor to experience the virtual reality feature.
Community input drove the development of concepts that reflect priorities expressed by a wide range of community members. Engagement with youth and community members provided the study team with feedback and input to develop design themes and inform the impression, aesthetics, inspiration, amenities and desired experience of the proposed bridge.
On July 9, the design team presented three design alternatives inspired by the preferred pre-design concept. The outcome of the public engagement merged the public art concepts of one concept with the Convergence bridge concept to reflect the views of the community.
