As part of the overarching ConnectCR project, the Alliant Energy LightLine bridge will provide an iconic destination in Cedar Rapids and help unite key parts of the community, speakers said at a groundbreaking ceremony for the new bridge Tuesday, April 29.
Mike McGrath, president of the board of Connect CR, a nonprofit organization raising funds and overseeing development of the LightLine bridge and the Cedar Lake renovation, noted that planning for the LightLine has been more than a decade in the making, involving a host of government and community leaders.
“It’s not just going to be another bridge,” Mr. McGrath said. “It will be an iconic destination for our city, one that will attract walkers, bikers, tourists, offer a safe crossing of the Cedar River – which we currently don’t have – and shine a light on our community, serving as a beacon to invite people to join us.”
The new bridge, with a price tag estimated at $15 million, will span the Cedar River, connecting the Czech Village and New Bohemia neighborhoods in the southwest and southeast quadrants of Cedar Rapids.
The bridge also connects directly to the Cedar Valley Nature Trail and to two transcontinental trail networks – the American Discovery Trail and the Great American Rail Trail, which is still being developed.
Speakers at Thursday’s groundbreaking noted that ConnectCR, with a total estimated budget of $20 million, represents the largest public-private partnership in the city’s history.
Funding for the project is split approximately equally between public and private sources, including an $8.3 million fundraising campaign, $5 million from the Hall Perrine Foundation, $5.9 million from the city of Cedar Rapids, $1 million from Alliant Energy for LightLine naming rights, $3 million in state Destination Iowa funding, and $1 million from a state Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grant.
The bridge, with an 18-foot-wide deck, will accommodate both pedestrian and bicycle traffic. It also features an LED-lighted tower and suspension cables, with both internal and external lighting features.
It replaces the historic CRANDIC/Rock Island railroad bridge, built in 1865, which was was damaged in the 2008 flood. It has been completely removed to make way for the new LightLine bridge.
At an October city council meeting, community development director Jennifer Pratt displayed some new renderings of the bridge, including both daytime and nighttime views, stressing that the bridge’s design will create a “light line” across the Cedar River.
The bridge will also feature color-changing lighting, Ms. Pratt said, “so we will be able to highlight certain months and certain events and make it more of an experience when people go by.”
The bridge will also provide a connection to the LightLine Loop, a separate ConnectCR project including a new Roundhouse and a festival street, set to begin construction soon in the Czech Village neighborhood.
Speakers at the groundbreaking praised a long list of community leaders for bringing the project to fruition, including city council member Dale Todd, who first suggested the bridge more than a decade ago during his term chairing the South Side Investment Board, a group of property owners in the NewBo District and Czech Village.
“He said, ‘you know, the (NewBo City) Market has just been completed. It’s a huge addition to community,’” ConnectCR board treasurer Steve Sovern said of Mr. Todd. “He said, ‘what next will drive development and create excitement?’ He challenged the folks present to come back with big ideas. A couple of days later, on my normal path down here, the old bridge remnant appeared in a new way. It was a sleeping giant of possibility. So that idea was taken back to the board, and at its next meeting in December of 2014, the board said, ‘that’s a great idea. Run with it.’”
Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell noted that many of the ceremony’s attendees “believed that something better was possible from this piece of property, and then they simply got to work.”
“I’ve always believed that a bridge is never just a bridge,” she said. “It is a symbol of connection, of movement, of progress. It tells us that even when there are things that divide us – rivers, roads, ideas – we can always build something that brings us back together. And what better way to usher in May and National Bike Month than by celebrating this project, that will not only add to our outdoor recreation culture, but literally put us on the map.”
Mr. Sovern also praised the efforts of Felicia Wyrick, the “Queen of Cedar Lake,” who worked with Mr. Todd to form the Friends of Cedar Lake that later morphed into Friends of Cedar Lake. He noted that it’s taken a host of contributions to bring the project to fruition.
“An idea flourishes when it’s a matchstick tossed on a brush pile,” Mr. Sovern said. “This has been a brush pile for Cedar Rapids.”
Cedar Rapids city manager Jeff Pomeranz referred to the LightLine Bridge and ConnectCR project as a “game changer” for the city.
“It’s a strong example of the importance, again, of public-private partnerships,” Mr. Pomeranz said. “Connect CR will be one of the largest such partnerships in our city’s history and our city’s future. It’s going to be something that we all remember, but also look towards as we build other improvements and make further advancements in our community.”
Ms. O’Donnell also lauded the public-private nature of the project, noting that “cities are often expected to do everything, and I will tell you unequivocally, the great stuff doesn’t happen without (these partnerships).”
“We know that this bridge links more than two riverbanks. It links our present to our past. It includes workers crossing here every day to get to the Sinclair plant and will honor them with markers that remind us that this city was built by people who showed up day in and day out to do the work. We know that these amenities will also infuse additional investment in our very important and critical downtown core and our district. So let this bridge not only stand as infrastructure to us, but now as inspiration, proof that when people come together with a shared vision and a willingness to do the work there’s really nothing we can do.”
Leaders say the project is targeted for completion in 2026.
