R. Kelly Bryant Jr. Pedestrian Bridge
R. Kelly Bryant Jr. Pedestrian Bridge | |
|---|---|
The bridge in 2025 | |
| Coordinates | 35°58′52″N 78°53′15″W / 35.9811°N 78.8875°W |
| Carries | Pedestrians |
| Crosses | North Carolina Highway 147 |
| Locale | Durham, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Named for | Robert Kelly Brant Jr. |
| History | |
| Constructed by | Stewart Engineering |
| Construction end | 2010 |
| Construction cost | $2.2 million |
| Opened | September 16, 2010 |
| Location | |
The R. Kelly Bryant Jr. Pedestrian Bridge is a bridge in Durham, North Carolina. It crosses over North Carolina Highway 147, connecting the Hayti District and East Durham Historic District. The bridge is named after Robert Kelly Bryant Jr., a local historian of African-American history.
History
In 1958, an urban renewal and freeway project resulted in the demolition of houses and local businesses across 200 acres of Hayti, an affluent African-American neighborhood in Durham, North Carolina.[1][2] The neighborhood was divided when North Carolina Highway 147 (also known as the Durham Freeway) was built, splitting through Hayti, causing economic hardship for residents.[1][2] In 1973, a pedestrian bridge was constructed over the freeway in an effort to relieve tensions rising among residents and prevent race riots.[2] After becoming a center for drug trafficking and other illegal activities, the bridge was shut off from pedestrian traffic in 1995.[1]
In 2003, the Durham Parks and Recreation Department discovered unused freeway funds and announced a plan to rebuild the bridge.[2] The project cost $2.2 million with 80 percent paid for by the North Carolina Department of Transportation and twenty percent paid for by the city of Durham.[2] It opened to the public on September 16, 2010, and was named after Robert Kelly Bryant Jr., a historian of the Hayti community.[1][2] Constructed along Lakeland Street,[2] the bridge connects Durham's south side neighborhoods, and Burton Park, to the Durham Green Flea Market on the north side.[1]
At night, the bridge is lit with blue LED lights.[3][4] In 2013, following complaints of the bridge no longer being lit since its opening, Mayor Steve Schewel ordered that the lights be restored.[5]
The bridge is a part of the proposed R. Kelly Bryant Bridge Trail, a 3-mile trail, stretching from the Rocky Creek Trail south of North Carolina Central University to Drew/Granby Park in East Durham.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Iconic Durham: R Kelly Bryant Bridge". 2018-04-16. Retrieved 2025-05-09.
- ^ a b c d e f g Sobsey, Adam (2010-09-15). "When a bridge is more than a bridge". INDY Week. Retrieved 2025-05-09.
- ^ Baumgartner Vaughan, Dawn (2018-08-30). "The downtown Durham loop 'should go away.' Should N.C. 147, too?". The Herald-Sun (Durham, North Carolina). Retrieved 2025-05-08.
- ^ Baumgartner Vaughan, Dawn (2019-03-22). "Durham's people of honor: See who made the short list". The News & Observer. Retrieved 2025-05-08.
- ^ "Durham bridge to light up again?". The News & Observer. Raleigh, North Carolina. November 14, 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
- ^ "R. Kelly Bryant Bridge Trail | Durham, NC". www.durhamnc.gov. Retrieved 2025-05-09.