AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) — Augusta’s 5th Street Pedestrian Bridge is set to open to foot traffic.
The city’s engineering department tells WJBF NewsChannel 6 that the plan is to have the bridge open Saturday morning, Sept. 24 just in time for the Ironman event.
The bridge, which was built in 1931, had fallen into decades of disrepair. In 2019, the bridge closed to vehicle traffic ahead of the multimillion dollar repair and restoration project to convert it into a pedestrian and bicycle bridge.
Construction on the bridge began in 2020, and the project was delayed several times due to supply chain issues and a recent winter storm.
5th Street Bridge Construction Project Timeline:
- 02/13/2016: Business Owners Say 5th Street Bridge Renovations Could Increase Business Downtown
- 06/06/2018: The case to take traffic off 5th Street Bridge
- 12/11/2019: 5th Street bridge to close to traffic after multi-million dollar repair
- 05/21/2020: 5th St. Bridge to be a pedestrian bridge after construction
- 06/02/2020: The end of the road for traffic on 5th Street Bridge
- 02/01/2022: 5th Street bridge project getting closer to completion
- 06/16/2022: Augusta’s 5th Street Pedestrian Bridge shines at night, now nearly complete
Officials say there are still some things under construction. But, the bridge is ready for pedestrian traffic and features such as play areas, benches, and shade structures are all in place.
Commissioners say they hope this project is a step to revitalize downtown Augusta, and make it safer. They also hope that it will bring people from Columbia County and North Augusta over to Richmond County.
