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 crossing.

Most important decisions and next steps - Location: Council expressed consensus for the western site (the team’s “site 1”), which lies roughly between KeyBank/Chipotle on the north side and Applebee’s/Planet Fitness on the south side. The design team judged that site to best meet project criteria and it also was the top public pick. - Bridge type: The design team recommended and council endorsed a steel tied-arch form; the consultant reported that “the public by and large chose the steel tied arch.” - Approach type: Council members favored ramps over elevators. Staff noted ramps carry higher upfront property impacts but lower ongoing operations and maintenance costs and avoid elevator entrapment/power-outage risks. The council directed staff to move forward with the ramp approach and to return with refined plans after property-owner coordination.

Design, accessibility and safety details presented - Bridge width: the team recommended a 10–12-foot deck width; 12 feet was preferred with ramps to accommodate bicycles and two-way pedestrian flow. - Right-of-way span: the schematic assumes spanning a future 110-foot SR 516 right-of-way so landing and approaches are planned outside the state highway alignment. - Ramp geometry: ramps are designed at the maximum allowable ADA slope used by the team (8% run with landings), arranged as switchback ramps with stairs provided as alternate routes. - Edge protection: the default proposal includes 4.5-foot-high mesh railing with openings limited to a 4-inch sphere. The consultant said WSDOT guidance currently does not mandate a “throw fence,” but adding one is an option the city can require during detailed design.

Property and parking impacts The team identified that all candidate sites would affect private parking. Council members noted the western site would remove parking that is heavily used by nearby businesses; the consultant said the west site has the least property impact relative to the alternatives but still requires acquisitions or easements. Council directed staff to pursue property-owner coordination, analyze net parking loss vs. possible structured or under-ramp parking, and bring back a refined layout and impact analysis.

Implementation path and outstanding items Staff and the consultant will: (1) continue property-owner outreach and refine conceptual site plans; (2) provide a parking-impact analysis showing stalls lost versus potential spaces reclaimed under alternative ramp treatments; (3) develop a permitting and cost estimate to bring back to council. No binding contract or construction authorization was approved at this meeting.

Quotes “We are looking for city council feedback on this design,” Delaney told the council as the team sought confirmation of the preferred site, bridge type and approach.

“The public by and large chose the steel tied arch,” Matt Hoffman, consultant project manager, reported when summarizing public-preference data.

Ending Councilmembers asked staff to coordinate closely with WSDOT and private property owners and to return with a refined plan showing how parking impacts and constructability will be addressed. The consultant and city staff said they will return to council with updated drawings and a parking-impact analysis before authorizing design to proceed into later phases.