Miami Closes 50-Year Baywalk Gap With Bridge

Miami approves 600-foot pedestrian bridge to connect Baywalk gap near Perez Art Museum

Miami Baywalk Bridge Closes 50-Year Gap

Miami's moving forward with a pedestrian bridge that'll finally connect a dangerous gap in the city's waterfront path. The City Commission approved design and funding grant applications for the 600-foot bridge linking the Baywalk at the Perez Art Museum to the former Miami Herald building site, officials said. The project addresses a gap that's forced pedestrians to take a 20-minute detour under the I-395 overpass for decades.

Context

The Baywalk has been in development for nearly 50 years since voters approved a charter amendment in 1979 requiring new buildings to provide public access to Biscayne Bay and the Miami River. Despite that requirement, implementation has been inconsistent over the decades due to minimal design standards, according to city officials. In 2021, the Miami City Commission approved new design guidelines to make the path more uniform and speed up completion. The project aims to create a fully accessible waterfront path connecting Brickell, downtown, and Edgewater along Biscayne Bay.

Bridge Details

The planned 600-foot-long pedestrian bridge will go underneath the MacArthur Causeway, solving a major gap in the downtown waterfront path. Officials said the bridge will include seating space for events, concerts, and rotating art exhibits. Currently, pedestrians must take a dangerous detour around the museum and under the I-395 overpass to cross from one side of the causeway to the other. The bridge design addresses both connectivity and safety concerns that've plagued this section of the waterfront for years.

Timeline

The pedestrian bridge is expected to be completed in three to four years, officials said. The City Commission's approval of design and funding grant applications moves the project into its next phase of development. Officials didn't specify when construction will begin or provide a detailed timeline for the various stages of the project.

Impact

The bridge will eliminate the dangerous 20-minute detour that pedestrians and cyclists currently face when trying to navigate this section of the waterfront. Several gaps still exist in the Baywalk system, including sections at the future Citadel headquarters, the former Herald site, and throughout Edgewater where older buildings don't have to comply with the 1979 amendment. Moovit provides real-time updates for Miami transit connections to waterfront access points along the Baywalk route.