Covington council OKs preferred SR 516 pedestrian-bridge site, selects ramps and tied-arch design; staff to negotiate property impacts

Covington City Council members on Tuesday endorsed a preferred design and location for a pedestrian bridge over State Route 516, directing staff to pursue a ramped approach at the western site near KeyBank and Applebee’s and to proceed with a steel tied-arch bridge form.

The decision follows a multi-phase design and public outreach process led by city staff and the consultant team. Delaney, a city project lead, told the council they were “looking for city council feedback on this design” as the team moved from concept to the next design phase. The consultant described three candidate crossing locations and four bridge-type options; public respondents strongly favored the western site and a steel tied-arch form.

Why it matters: the crossing is intended to improve pedestrian safety and downtown walkability along SR 516, support future redevelopment of the downtown right-of-way, and provide a separated connection across a traffic-dominant corridor. Council members repeatedly cited growing housing developments and future WSDOT corridor work as reasons to invest in a permanent pedestrian…