Could Concord build a footbridge from downtown across the river?: Engineers present Tuesday

A bridge and park in Dublin, Ohio, offered by engineers as potential inspiration for a bridge in Concord.

A bridge and park in Dublin, Ohio, offered by engineers as potential inspiration for a bridge in Concord. Courtesy

By CATHERINE McLAUGHLIN

Monitor staff

Published: 02-03-2025 2:11 PM

If pursued by the city, what should a pedestrian bridge over the interstate and Merrimack River look like? Engineers will present design possibilities for public feedback at a meeting Tuesday night. 

Since 2023, the city has been studying the possibility of building an elevated park spanning over the highway and, potentially, across the river. They’ll take their next step forward at a public meeting Tuesday night.

There have long been visions about better connecting the village of downtown with the mighty Merrimack, but the interstate, the railroad and the Storrs Street strip run parallel between them. While the state plans its ten-year project to widen the interstate through Concord, the city is looking into whether it wants to take advantage of the construction window to create a pedestrian connection between downtown and the riverfront.

The possibilities considered are wide: a “deck” park that would hang over the interstate? A bridge running from Storrs Street to the water, or all the way across the river? A bridge with a park attached? 

A year ago, engineers behind the project held a brainstorming session with residents to gather input on what people wanted to see. After a year of further study, they have funneled those ideas into a few potential designs, which they will present for public feedback Tuesday night. 

There are a lot of logistical hurdles to this idea. The city would need easements from multiple landowners to build a bridge over and across their property, and there’s the floodplain and wetlands along the river to mind, as well. It also would face competition in the city budget from other big-ticket capital projects.

Those considerations will be weighed alongside the designs for public feedback. 

The meeting will be Tuesday at 6 p.m. in City Council chambers.  A recording of the meeting from last February and the presented slides are available on the city’s website. 

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Catherine McLaughlin can be reached at cmclaughlin@cmonitor.com. You can subscribe to her Concord newsletter The City Beat at concordmonitor.com.