Project Overview

The Davis Avenue bridge reconstruction project aimed to reconnect the Brighton Heights neighborhood to Riverview Park. The previous bridge, constructed in 1898, was a pin-connected, cantilever deck truss, and featured ingenuity for its day. However, the bridge lacked modern insight into necessary safety and maintenance features and had limited capacity for heavily-loaded vehicles. Ultimately, the bridge was demolished by the City in 2009.

The new Davis Avenue bridge will function as a bike and pedestrian bridge and feature modern building designs, materials, and insights, while emulating the aesthetic established by the prior bridge. The bridge reopened to pedestrian traffic in Spring of 2025.

Public Art

Part of the design of the new Davis Avenue Bridge included a public art piece that celebrates the rebuilding of this bridge between Riverview Park and Northside neighborhoods. This art project was made possible by the City of Pittsburgh’s Percent for Art program which matches 1% of the construction budget with a dedicated budget for public art.

Follow the public art project's Engage page here.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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Since the previous bridge was demolished in 2009, nearby communities have been requesting and building support for reestablishing a connection to Riverview Park.

The new Davis Avenue pedestrian bridge provides a direct connection between the Brighton Heights neighborhood and the largest city park in the Northside (Riverview Park).

Yes, the project was fully funded.

Funding sources include municipal bonds, American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds, a Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) grant, and the Allegheny County Gaming Economic Development Tourism Fund (GEDTF).

By designing and building a bridge exclusively for pedestrians and bicyclists, the required load-carrying capacity of the structure is greatly diminished.

This enables the previous bridge abutments to be reused, and the total area of impermeable pavement on Riverview Drive is reduced (which improves stability of the steep hillside). This means this project cost a fraction of the price of a full vehicle bridge.