These Are the Coolest Bike and Pedestrian Bridges in the US

Opened in 2012, the impressive architecture of this Oklahoma City landmark is structured to evoke the Oklahoma state bird, the scissor-tailed flycatcher. The striking 197-foot tall design was selected through a competition announced by the mayor to create something to “reflect the cosmopolitan and vibrant qualities of Oklahoma City and serve as a symbol for the City.” At 380 feet long, the bridge spans Interstate 40 and welcomes cyclists and pedestrians downtown.

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Built from 1907 to 1909 for rail lines and later motorists, this 48-span truss bridge connecting downtown Nashville to the East Nashville suburbs has been closed to car traffic since 1998. The bridge is considered a near-perfect spot to capture photos of the Nashville skyline and allows cyclists to cross the Cumberland River and ride right into the heart of downtown. Originally called the Shelby Avenue Bridge, it was renamed after respected journalist John Seigenthaler, who physically stopped a man from jumping off the bridge in 1954 while working for the Tennessean.

Once a six-span railroad bridge connecting Louisville, Kentucky and Jeffersonville, Indiana, across the Ohio River, the Big Four Bridge reopened exclusively to bicycle and pedestrian traffic in 2013. Ramps into each city were completed by 2014, in addition to a Waterfront Park on the Louisville side. Want to control the bridge’s color scheme? Now the lighting display can be “adopted” by individuals and organizations for a fee that benefits the park. That’s perfect for striking the right tone on an evening bike ride, considering one of the project’s hopes for the bridge is that it’s used for “dates” and “romance.”

Opened to bicycle and foot traffic only in 2006, the Big Dam Bridge across the Arkansas River in Little Rock is the longest pedestrian/cycling bridge that wasn’t formerly a motorist or train bridge. It was originally intended to be called the Murray Bridge, but during a financing meeting for the bridge Judge Buddy Villines was quoted as saying, “we are going to build that damn bridge.” As the bridge is built on a dam, Villines says there was no expletive intended, but the name was catchy enough to stick.

Also known as the "Purple People Bridge" for its resident-selected purple hue, the Newport Southbank Bridge connects Newport, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio, across the Ohio River. The city used to host an annual bridge climb that allowed participants to traverse the highest trestles of the 2,670-foot-long bridge in safety gear. Now the bridge is strictly open to cyclists and walkers and offers some of best views of downtown Cincinnati. 

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Construction started on this cable-stayed bridge across the Willamette River in 2011, and the bridge was opened to connect the South Waterfront in downtown Portland to the city’s east side in 2015. The bridge is closed to cars, but cyclists and pedestrians get a full 14 feet of space on either side, and the center is taken by public transit. A number of pedestrian and bike bridges are playing with lighting, but Tilikum Crossing has a cool approach—the cables, towers, and deck light up at night with 178 LEDs that change color and motion with the speed, height, and water temperature of the river below.

“Steel cantilever” isn’t only used to describe bike brakes—it’s also the bridge design for the longest footbridge in the world. Stretching 6,768 feet over the Hudson River between Poughkeepsie and Highland, New York, the Walkway over the Hudson is a former railroad bridge that reopened to foot and bicycle traffic in 2009. When the bridge first opened, project managers predicted it would get 267,000 pedestrians and cyclists per year; however, more than 750,000 annual visitors come to ride or walk across its strikingly peaceful expanse.

Gainesville, Florida, turned an old train overpass into a car-free bridge that’s brilliantly designed to reflect its railway origins. A twisted rail track resembling a DNA strand made of recycled aluminum covers the bridge and glows with bright LED lighting while bikes and pedestrians safely travel over US Highway 441. The bridge connects the city’s rail trail segments and serves as a gateway to the city.

The 3,000-foot cable-stayed bridge between Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska, is the longest pedestrian bridge to string together two states, with 150 miles of trails on either side. The bridges’ lights are multi-colored, programmable, and a stunning sight after dark. On the Omaha side, a summer concert series in the pedestrian bridge plaza is a big draw for locals.