Rio Salado Bicycle/Pedestrian Bridge

​About the Project

The Street Transportation Department is in the early design phase for the first and only dedicated bicycle and pedestrian bridge across the Rio Salado (Salt River). The bridge will provide a seamless, safe, and comfortable connection across the Rio Salado for residents walking and biking.  

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 Ave and 40th Street. 

What will the Bridge Look Like?

Community input drove the development of preliminary aesthetic concepts. 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.​ 

Three main design concepts were developed during the planning phase of the project. There is an artistic rendering of the preferred bridge type below. This concept features an arched gateway on the southern end of the bridge. The structural span of the bridge arches over the Rio Salado and is meant to evoke the handle of a Native American basket. Additional public engagement will help refine the bridge design and associated aesthetics. ​​

​*NEW* Community Engagement

A project update will be provided during a public meeting on July 9 at 5 p.m. in the Burton Barr Central Library Pulliam Auditorium (1st floor), 1221 N. Central Ave.

​Project Benefits

  • Establishes a regional connection from Phoenix to Tempe and Mesa for residents walking or biking
  • Provides a connection for educational, economic and lifestyle opportunities between south, central and midtown Phoenix
  • Introduces a new recreational, exercise and commuting opportunity on a paved path free of conflict with people driving cars or trucks​
  • The southern bank trails along the Rio Salado between Central Avenue and State Route 143 will be retrofitted to a 10-foot concrete pathway with lighting and pedestrian amenities

Tentative Project Schedule

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 [National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis, US Corp of Engineers USACE 408 permitting].

  • Design kickoff: March 2024
  • Design schedule: Spring 2024 to Summer 2026
  • Federal Fund Obligation: September 2026
  • Construction: Fall 2027 to Fall 2029

Project Contacts

Public Engagement Contact:
Albert Granillo, The Barnhart Co.
agranillo@barnhartco.com

Project Hotline: 623-825-3444

Project Manager:
Tariq Momika
Phone: (602) 534-7062
tariq.momika@phoenix.gov​

​Basket Handle Arch Preferred Concept


​Project Background

The City of 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.

October 2021 Virtual ​​Public Meeting about both projects