MARSUPIAL BRIDGE PROJECT NETS $10,000 AWARD

The Holton Marsupial Bridge from the east bank of the Milwaukee River. Lakefront Brewery is in the left background, across the river.

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The Crossroads Project, incorporating the Holton Marsupial Bridge, is a Silver Award winner from the Rudy Bruner Foundation. The presentation of the award, and a $10,000 prize, will be made Tuesday, September 11th, 2007 at 10 a.m. at the bridge's plaza, located on N. Water Street, just below the Edward D. Holton Viaduct. Mayor Tom Barrett will officiate. The bridge project, designed primarily by La Dallman architects and engineered by Bloom Consultants, consists of a pedestrian walkway slung underneath the viaduct. It connects the Brady Street area to the Beer Line "B" developments on N. Commerce St. A brainchild of neighbor Julilly Kohler, who lobbied congress for bridge funding, it was completed in 2005.
However, the bridge's Commerce Street access left much to be desired. Plans to connect the bridge to the riverwalk below were not built, and the north end of the bridge likewise lacked convenient access to the street below.
James Dallman, the project architect, said last week in an exclusive interview with milwaukeeworld that money has been "found" to complete the project, and that he is working on designing the finishing elements. These will likely be announced at the event Tuesday. The Crossroad Project also includes a plaza on the Water Street end of the bridge and an award-winning bus shelter for the #15 line at the northeast corner of E. Brady and N. Holton streets, at the foot of the viaduct. Not mentioned in the award, but a critical element of the project, is a prairie garden east of the bridge, dating to 2000, and a more conventional landscape and sculpture garden west of the bridge's south approach dedicated this year.
[Follow links elsewhere on this site for more on the Holton Marsupial Bridge.--Ed.]
--Michael Horne