A 342-foot-long bridge across a downtown portion of Fall Creek officially opened Wednesday, connecting the 16 Tech innovation district with parts of the city’s central business district.
The bridge, which spans from the intersection of 10th Street and Riley Hospital Drive to 16 Tech, is part of a larger $30 million infrastructure project that also included work on nearby roadways and green spaces. Its multimodal design accommodates vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists in protected travel lanes.
The bridge, under construction since March 2023, also features a wave-inspired structure flanking either side of the main roadway.
Emily Krueger, CEO of 16 Tech Community Corp., told IBJ the bridge offers a destination while also creating new opportunities for the 50-acre development in the far northwest corner of downtown.
“The bridge was really first [identified] for its functional need, but if it were only about the function, we would not be celebrating [its opening] in the way that we are,” she said. “The bridge truly symbolizes much more for 16 Tech and it creates essentially a new type of civic landmark for our city, one that embodies both technical innovation as well as community collaboration.”
Half of the bridge is dedicated to non-vehicular use and includes seating areas, using wood harvested from the area surrounding the bridge. The seats were designed at the Machyne Makerspace at 16 Tech. The structure also includes dynamic lighting, which allows for colors to change in conjunction with events.
The bridge is expected to have direct connections to the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, the White River Trail and the Urban Wilderness Trail.
The city and the Lilly Endowment Inc. have contributed $60 million and $33 million, respectively, to support infrastructure work within the district since 2019, including design and construction of Confluence Way, a street within the 16 Tech district, and improvements to the Urban Wilderness Trail.
The bridge was designed and engineered by Germany-based Schlaich Bergerman Partner, with architectural support from New York City firm Practice for Architecture and Urbanism. Several other firms were also part of the design team: Indianapolis-based Shrewsberry & Associates CTL Engineering, People for Urban Progress and Circle Design Group, as well as Moniteurs Communication Design and Martha Schwartz Partners.
“We were fortunate to work with such a visionary client who supported the creation of a truly unique type of suspension bridge,” Michael Stein, managing director of Schlaich Bergermann Partner, said in a written statement. “The 16 Tech Bridge showcases how innovative engineering and design can transform urban spaces and infrastructure in meaningful ways.”
The 16 Tech district, which had been in the works for nearly a decade before officially taking off in 2018, is entering the third and final phase of its planned development. Part of the phase includes a three-acre central green space meant to connect to various buildings in the district.
Krueger said while several buildings have already been completed and others are in the works—the Vanguard apartments project will open this summer—about 70% of the land within the district is still undeveloped.
As an organization, 16 Tech Community Corp. has backed more than $300 million in vertical development on the campus already, including multiple buildings ranging from a food hall to laboratory space, as well as the apartment project and a parking structure.
Both Indiana University Indianapolis and Purdue University have also committed to making investments within the 16 Tech campus, including IU’s new building for lab spaces and its Launch Accelerator for Biosciences.