Wheat Ridge pauses long‑running Ward Station pedestrian bridge project; council backs property acquisitions, pushes Tabor Street multimodal work

Wheat Ridge City Council and staff announced a pause in advancing the long‑planned pedestrian bridge across the G Line at Ward Station, citing rising construction and right‑of‑way costs and ongoing operations and maintenance obligations. Councilors directed staff to continue acquiring most trail parcels related to the project, to seek reallocation of an $8.3 million regional TIP grant toward the Tabor Street multimodal project, and to prioritize nearby public‑improvement projects in the Ward Station area.

The recommendation came after staff presented the project history and site constraints and after residents and councilors raised questions about cost, property impacts and long‑term upkeep. "While the vision for the pedestrian bridge has long held promise, a lot of the current financial and logistical challenges call for a pause," staff said.

The bridge concept first appears in the city planning record in 2013 and traces to earlier subarea planning and technical advisory reviews. Staff told council that conceptual designs progressed to roughly 90% but that total project estimates have grown to about $19 million since earlier planning. The bridge and its related trail would require multiple property interests to be acquired or encumbered; staff estimated acquiring most trail parcels (excluding one key commercial parcel) would cost under $600,000. Staff also noted significant ongoing operations and maintenance obligations—two exterior elevators and continual cleaning and upkeep—which RTD would not accept. Staff said the city has already incurred one penalty under DRCOG/Jefferson County TIP program rules and faces a second if construction advertising does not occur by July 1, 2025.

Councilors and staff discussed four possible paths: (1) delay the project and return the $8.3 million TIP grant for reallocation by the Jefferson County TIP forum; (2) preserve the…