Rio Grande pedestrian bridge boosted through private donations
WHEN SLV GO! Executive Director Mick Daniel secured an anonymous $100,000 donation to help cover pre-construction costs for a new pedestrian bridge on the Rio Grande near the Adams State campus, he knew the project long in the making was becoming a reality.
Daniel then used the $100,000 donation to secure additional support from Damon and Konnie Martin, and SLV Health where Konnie Martin is CEO. Employees of Adams State and SLV Health see the planned pedestrian bridge as a perfect complement to the trails that naturally flow around the campus and in vicinity of SLV Health.
The planned pedestrian bridge on the river banks behind the Adams State baseball diamond extends the pathways of those trails on the Rio Grande to the east so trail users, Adams State runners, and other outdoor recreationalists can cross back and forth.
The money Daniel raised then turned into more when SLV Federal Bank, and the city of Alamosa and Alamosa County all contributed additional money to pay for pre-construction costs. The $100,000 anonymous gift was now $200,000 and growing.
John Reesor, outdoor recreation director for Alamosa Parks and Recreation, briefed Alamosa County Commissioners this week on the project, including a timeline that has construction beginning in 2026.
In August, the city of Alamosa received $4.77 million of federal funding through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, or RAISE grant to pay for construction. Reesor said the city hopes to have the grant agreement in place with the Department of Transportation around July to begin accessing the money.
Between Daniel raising private dollars through SLV GO! and the city of Alamosa’s efforts to secure federal grant funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation to cover construction costs, the pedestrian bridge on the Rio Grande at Adams State is inching ahead.
Hurdles remain, including addressing Stadium Drive where the trailhead would be located and private property that sits adjacent to the river banks on Stadium Drive.
But the most urgent part, securing money to pay for everything, is largely complete. Now it’s working through the logistical challenges of building a pedestrian bridge across the Rio Grande.
More on that in a story coming this weekend on AlamosaCitizen.com.
