The Next New Bridge Going over the Bayou

This photo, courtesy of a reader, shows what will eventually hold up the new pedestrian bridge spanning Buffalo Bayou. This view looks south across the muddy water from the Sandy Reed Memorial Trail near Jackson Hill St. and Memorial Dr. toward the Royalton condo tower on Allen Pkwy. Crews have also begun clearing away more trees and brush between this spot and the Adath Yeshurun Cemetery, where the bayou’s master plan shows the Lost Lake will be.

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Photos: Bryan via Swamplot inbox

28 Comment

  • This Buffalo Bayou/Memorial Park project alone is why Houston is awesome. This is Houston’s chance to take what’s already a world-class space and make it into something very unique. I’m sure I’ll want everyone off my lawn one day, but for now I’m glad to live so close to it.

  • So when do we get a crosswalk at Taft?

  • been running here since before construction began. Someone need to post before and after pictures. great improvements.

  • These improvements are fantastic. Just wish they’d been done years ago when I was single and living inner loop.

  • A crosswalk at Taft? Just look exactly 1/2 mile to the East. Hence the WALK part. #fattestcity

  • This is really pretty cool!
    I saw the south platform the other day when I was turning left onto Dunlavy. This will help connect Cleveland park into the greater Buffalo Bayou park system.
    On a slightly tangential note, I can’t find any info as to if they’re going to upgrade / expand / replace the existing Memorial bridge that will connect to the new bridge. It’s not really wide enough for two ppl side by side, biking is difficult on it, and it’s just overall kind of janky with the whole ‘fenced-in’ look. Anyone know?

  • looks pretty awesome. I love this project!

  • (x2)@DNAguy, that bridge sucks to ride on, and it just seems silly to have it connect to this awesome new bridge, however, I have not seen a replacement of it in any of the master plans.

  • I love how you see pedestrians everywhere now. Sure Houston’s hot! Been to NYC, DC etc in the summer? Just as hot as we are. I am proud of all the improvements. Great going! And the views from those bridges are awesome.

  • This is just awesome. I’ve always thought the Buffalo Bayou Park was a neglected gem. I always wish that they had linked it with Memorial Park better in the 1920’s that could have been so beautiful. The Buffalo Bayou Park was part of George Kessler’s great design. He also is responsible for Turtle Creek Blvd in Dallas

  • The pwky is a major barrier to riders from midtown area. No good place to cross.

  • I’m still a fan, but don’t really get the point of this with the brand new bridge that just went in at Shepherd… seems like overkill, no?

  • JB3, if you are a biker or jogger you’d know the sidewalk at the Shepherd overpass is very narrow. The new pedestrian bridge is a necessity for safety’s sake.

  • Pangu!

  • Rick, I’m talking about the new PEDESTRIAN bridge that crosses the bayou, at Shepherd, below the underpass. I guess this new bridge helps connect to the existing ped. bridge over Memorial, but I think the question still stands if this was really needed.

  • I suspect it’s meant to serve as an alternative for biking/jogging over the Waugh St bridge. Detouring over to Jackson Hill from the existing bike lane on Heights is do-able, going all the way to Shepherd seems pointless (and it’s tough to access that bridge from the street).

    Personally, I’d love to be able to avoid Waugh on my bike commute, but the exisitng Jackson Hill pedestrian bridge is not designed to handle bikes, and frankly, is more trouble than my time is worth. I wish they’d do something like the twin bridges near Montrose.

  • I will keep uploading pictures of the bridge, but will also comment on its necessity. JB3 was asking if the Jackson Hill bridge is necessary, considering we now have the Shepherd pedestrian bridge. Just as Shepherd was a dangerous mix of cars, cyclists, and joggers, so is the Waugh Steet bridge. I think funneling the cyclists and joggers over Jackson Hill, and giving Waugh back to the cars works for everyone. They should keep the pedestrian path under Waugh open since the turning lane is very busy, and not very cyclist/jogger aware (they’re all looking left). As for the existing bridge over Memorial with the chain link fence. Have you actually looked beyond the chain link to the structure of the bridge? This is modern architecture at its best! And can someone with more engineering knowledge than me point out how a solid steel, arched bridge, buried in that much concrete is probably more than capable of supporting two lanes?

  • will be great when it’s done, but this project has moved soooooo slow. it doesn’t help that the construction crews allow rebar to hang out for more than a year to snarl joggers (e.g., incomplete sidewalk near taft for all of 2012). better access to the trail on the south side would be nice — crossing at taft, montrose, or waugh can be challenging. those complaints aside, it will be nice when it’s done and beggars can’t be choosers.

  • I am marking May 8th on my calendar as the date Shannon found something about Houston that she liked.

  • This bridge is in anticipation of developing the “lost lake” area on the south side of the bayou with some sort of concessions/restaurant area.
    I LOVE the bridge at Shep. Running on the tiny strip of sidewalk with traffic zipping by on Shep was at best terrifying. Now, runners, bicycles and walkers are all protected on the bridge.

  • Guess I’m just contrarian but I don’t think this bridge is overkill and I’ve never had problems biking across the Jackson Hill bridge though I will agree that i’s no fun to pass anyone on that bridge and I certainly wouldn’t turn down any opportunity to widen it.

  • I’m not against the bridge or the park, but I’d like to point out the hypocrisy where all the cool new and expensive public projects in the city happen within the view of City Hall or on the way to and from the homes of “Large Donors”.

  • @commonsense, Eh, it’s where the people are. I suppose they could have spent a fortune building a “bridge to nowhere” out in Alief that 5 people would have used. Also I’m glad they’re building these bridges because it used to be impossible to ride from Montrose to The Heights without risking life and limb riding across Waugh. Allen Parkway and Memorial, not to mention the bayou itself form a moat blocking travel for all but those in cars.

  • Uh, go down taft make a right towards downtown, use the pedestrian bridge over Allen Parkway, or take a left and use the pedestrian bridge over the bayou at Montrose/Studemont. Sorry but someone calling you out on being lazy was far too accurate..

  • I’ve always thought it would be great to incorporate a privately funded pedestrian bridge with the Regent Square project that goes over Allen Pkwy (@ Dunlavy). Crossing over that stretch of roadway can be a challenge and another bridge would ust enhance the larger Regent Square project.

    I just have no idea how much a project like that would cost. $500k? A million? Maybe more?

  • @commonsense – Braes Bayou trails have some great new pedestrian bridges between Chimney Rock and Gessner – hard to see City Hall from there. Also, a great new bridge (Bill Coats Bike Bridge) connecting Hermann Park to Braes Bayou trails going east… don’t recall being able to see City Hall from there, either…

  • We saw one of the supports being trucked west on Allen Parkway( Sunday AM).At first thought it was some cool modernist sculpture. Now we know better. Love it!!!

  • @shadyheightster-I’m a gay man, dear—(a hot ripped one at that) (who else but a gay man would be this bitchy and opinionated)–Shannon is actually an Irish Boys name–spelled Sionainn in Ireland.