Pedestrian bridge will connect Denver Summit FC stadium to I-25 and Broadway RTD station
A planned pedestrian bridge connecting the future Denver Summit FC stadium to the I-25 and Broadway RTD station is expected to cost about $23 million. Denver City Council approved $5.3 million for the project this week, but that money will only cover the design.
Right now, people getting off at the I-25 and Broadway Station have to walk more than a mile to reach the future stadium site.
Denver City Councilmember Flor Alvidrez, who represents District 7, said the current route takes pedestrians across train tracks and over an existing bridge. She worries some fans could instead try to cross the railroad tracks to take a more direct route to the stadium.
For Alvidrez, improving pedestrian safety in the area is personal. She said the first traffic death in her district after she was elected involved a bicyclist who was trying to cross Santa Fe Drive at Mississippi Avenue.
"After being elected, the first death that happened in my district was a biker trying to cross Santa Fe at Mississippi, and they passed away," Alvidrez said. "And so it's important to me that we not make bigger highways that separate communities."
Alvidrez said the city is also working with CDOT on plans for Santa Fe Drive, including efforts to avoid widening the roadway.
"We absolutely need this bridge and having it be designed is extremely important," Alvidrez said.
Of the $5.3 million approved, $4 million is coming from the state through a transit-oriented grant program. Denver is contributing another $1.3 million.
The city still needs to find the money to build the bridge.
"This does not cover the actual construction," Alvidrez said. "We are going to have to look to other sources for that."
Businesses along Broadway are also hoping the bridge will bring more people into the neighborhood before and after games.
Caitlin Braun, executive director of the Broadway General Improvement District, said the bridge would provide a key connection between businesses and the stadium.
"People want to support, you know, people want to have pre-parties and be fans and make a really full game-day experience, but we really need that final leg to make it easy to get from point A to point B," Braun said.
Matty Clark, owner of Hi-Dive Denver, said he expects the added foot traffic to benefit businesses in the area.
"Having this bridge is going to bring people into the neighborhoods and bring people fired up about having this in town," Clark said.
The entire project is estimated to cost about $23 million. The city is aiming to have the bridge completed by 2030, potentially after the stadium opens, depending on when the remaining construction funding is secured.
