After three years of repairs, Milwaukee’s Holton Street Bridge is reopening, allowing again for easy commutes between neighborhoods on each side of the Milwaukee River.
A grand re-opening celebration will take place at noon Thursday, July 16 in the center of the bridge. It’s open to the public and will feature a ribbon-cutting, as well as remarks from city leaders and community partners, according to the Milwaukee Department of Public Works.
The Holton Street Bridge runs on North Holton Street between East Brady Street and East Glover/Reservoir Avenues, and first opened 100 years ago, in 1926. Along with the structural repairs, the project included a new mural, which will be unveiled at the re-opening celebration.
Nearly 1,000 feet long and installed along the bridge’s two-way protected bike lane, the artwork will be Milwaukee’s longest mural. It was designed by local artist Aisha Valentín, completed in partnership with Riverworks Development Corp., Wisconsin Bike Fed’s MilWALKee Walks and AARP, according to the DPW.
The estimated $12.7 million project has been underway since 2023, and was completed in three phases.
The first phase, from 2023 to 2024, involved replacing the bridge’s expansion joints, repairing the concrete deck and making steel repairs to and painting the substructure on the bridge’s south end. The second phase, in 2024, involved repairs to the north abutment and making steel repairs to and painting the substructure, on the bridge’s north end. The third and final phase, from 2025 to 2026, involved steel repairs and painting the entire superstructure of the bridge.
The bridge opening celebration will also include an announcement about plans for the public space beneath the bridge formerly known as Swing Park. The city plans to develop the area a multi-use space called The Landing on Tannery Row, but hasn’t provided formal updates since last year.
Swing Park, which featured public swings attached to the underside of the bridge, opened in 2014 but has been closed since the start of the Holton Street Bridge project. Before that, however, it had been the site of several shootings, which elicited some community concerns about the space.
The City of Milwaukee first released conceptual plans for the new replacement of Swing Park in 2024. The concept included a playground area and an outdoor theater performance space.
Contact Kelli Arseneau at (920) 213-3721 or karseneau@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @ArseneauKelli.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Drivers rejoice! Holton Street Bridge to reopen Thursday after 3 years
Reporting by Kelli Arseneau, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Kelli Arseneau, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
