New pedestrian bridge to reconnect Denver's Overland neighborhood, improve safety for walkers and cyclists

A new pedestrian bridge over Santa Fe Drive is expected to reconnect Denver's Overland neighborhood by providing a safer route for people walking and biking between its east and west sides.

The 370-foot bridge, under construction near West Jewell Avenue, will connect residents to trails, transit, parks and local businesses without requiring them to cross one of the city's busiest roadways. The project is expected to open in early 2027. 

Meanwhile, the bridge landings will be added on both sides of the Santa Fe Drive corridor on West Jewell Avenue, along with an ADA ramp, lighting, landscaping, and drainage improvements.

"Our neighborhood is quartered by transportation routes," said Jenn Greiving, president of the Overland Park Neighborhood Association. "Having a safe pedestrian bridge that can take people from one side to the other is really an amazing development that neighbors have been asking for, for years."

Greiving said the bridge has been something residents in this neighborhood have been waiting for and will help reconnect to a neighborhood that has long been divided by major transportation corridors.

"I think having a bridge like this will make it even easier for us to bridge that divide between the west and east sides of Overland," she said. 

Businesses also expect the bridge to improve customer access and strengthen connections throughout the community. 

"I live just on the other side of Santa Fe, so to be able to commute safely without having to take my life into my own hands, I'm really looking forward to the completion of that project," said Craig Broek, director of operations at the Table Urban Farm and owner of the Table Public House. 

Broek said the bridge could also benefit businesses along South Platte River Drive by making it easier for residents to travel between both sides of the neighborhood. 

The project is expected to cost about $25 million, with the funding coming from Denver's 2017 Elevate Denver Bond Program. 

Drivers should expect significant traffic impacts this weekend as crews install the bridge. Santa Fe Drive will be closed in both directions between Evans Avenue and Florida Avenue from midnight Saturday through 5 a.m. Monday while two large cranes lift the bridge into place.

City officials say the bridge will provide a safer, more direct connection for pedestrians and cyclists while helping unite neighborhoods.