New pedestrian bridge in Aurora will provide safer route along Parker Road near I-225

There will soon be a pedestrian bridge to connect homes and businesses along Parker Road in Aurora. The City of Aurora says the Nine Mile Pedestrian Bridge will span from Parker Road near I-225 and connect to the RTD Nine Mile Station.

The city hosted a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday morning. The pedestrian bridge is currently being fabricated at an off-site location in Loveland and will be installed in summer 2027. Until then, city crews will focus on initial site work, erosion control, and preparation of utilities prior to above-ground construction through November.

City crews say this project will cost about $9.3 million. This will enhance regional multimodal connectivity by offering a safe crossing bridge over Parker Road. The City of Aurora and CDOT say Parker Road is one of the worst places for crashes involving pedestrians and drivers because there is nowhere to cross safely.

The creation of this new infrastructure will better support alternative modes of transportation and is expected to help improve traffic flow along this major corridor.

"We have had some traffic fatalities along this route because people don't want to go all the way around," said Stephanie Hancock, Aurora Councilmember. "They just want to come across the street."

City crews say there will be minimal on-site operations until spring 2027. This is when crews will return to start building the foundation and pedestrian ramps, which will lead to the bridge structure. The entire project is expected to be completed by November 2027. 

As construction kicks off, general working hours will take place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Drivers can expect intermittent single-lane closures on Parker Road between South Peoria Street and I-225. Northbound lane closures will take place between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., and southbound closures will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. All lanes will be open during peak travel times for the initial site work.

Details of the project are available online.