April 16, 2020

Columbus Recreation and Parks welcomes input on the new Pedestrian Bridge proposed for the Olentangy Trail at Confluence Park

For the past 3 years Recreation and Parks has been actively working on plans for a new bike/ped bridge over the Olentangy River near downtown. The bridge would connect to the Confluence Village development, which includes the new Crew Stadium and large mixed use development occurring on the east bank of the river. The project will build a new 233’ long bridge crossing over to Nationwide Boulevard, as well as a new 3.4 acre park along the east bank. As part of the development, the existing Olentangy Boat Ramp will be rebuilt to better accommodate access to the water trail. Plans call for a kayak storage facility at the park near the ramp, as well as an improved, safer entry into the river. The former remnants of a low head dam will be removed during construction.

To construct the bridge and new boat ramp, a temporary causeway will need to be built across the river for a period of 6-8 months. Signage will be posted upstream of the causeway to ensure that water trail users will have advance notice to take out before the construction zone. Some clearing will occur on the west bank of the river to provide a landing for the new bridge and a connection to the Olentangy Trail. Any trees removed as part of this will be replaced with native tree species, per the city’s executive tree order. The new bridge will be 12’ wide and will tie into the new streets being built for the Confluence Village development. The route also provides a new direct connection to the Arena District, making this bridge one of the region’s most major access points to the COG network.

The project is set to begin construction later in 2020. The graphics below show the project and a general overview of the new Confluence Park.

Recreation and Parks welcomes comments from the public regarding this project. They may be provided in writing to:

Columbus Recreation and Parks

1111 E. Broad Street

Columbus, OH 43205

Attn: Brad Westall

Or they can be emailed to:

brwestall@columbus.gov

Please return all comments by Friday, May 1, 2020.