Navigating the RiNo Art District, whether by walking, rolling or driving, can be a headache. But one aspect of local travel has gotten considerably easier since summer, despite ongoing construction in the popular neighborhood.

The new 35th/36th Street Bridge has made traversing the railroad tracks that bisect RiNo a breeze. Where once you had to divert for blocks to find a place to cross the multiple railroad tracks to get to, say, Wazee Street from Blake Street, now it’s simply up and over.

The bridge was a long time coming — and the $6.7 million price tag wasn’t the biggest issue. This skyway connecting the River North, Curtis Park and Cole neighborhoods was held up by bureaucracy — that’s tough to imagine now that the bridge is used daily.

Area business owners say the benefits of the bridge were apparent on Day One.

Marla Yetka, co-owner of Bigsby’s Folly, a craft winery and restaurant that opened in June, said business has picked up significantly since August. The bridge has made it easier for customers to get to Bigsby’s, and they tell her as much.

“It creates more traffic with people on bikes and with dogs. We’ve even had people come in and say they didn’t know we were here” until the bridge opened, she said. “It is great to be in line of sight” of pedestrians and others using the bridge, she added.

Why did it take so long to get to this point? In short, bureaucracy and plans to support American workers is the reason.

The steel and concrete span was complete — or so it appeared — in April 2016. If you are able-bodied, you could have walked or ridden across it. But officials couldn’t open the bridge because the elevators on either side of the span had not arrived, and the federal American with Disabilities Act requires that public spaces are accessible to all. And because the city received federal funds to help pay for the bridge, it was required to follow “Buy America” criteria that specify the need to purchase specific goods, including elevators, from U.S. sources.

The opening was further delayed when the elevators arrived in September 2016 without a heating/cooling system. The process to identify, purchase and install that system took another year. The costs were included in the overall project’s contingency budget, said city officials.

“We were getting a little frustrated,” Tracy Weil, co-founder and creative director of the RiNo Art District, said of the delays. “There is a lot of things happening right there and connectivity is key” to their success.

City officials say the bridge and area improvements to streets, sidewalks and bike lanes show Denver’s commitment to its Mobility Action Plan, which is aimed at helping people get around, whether they walk, bike, drive, ride a skateboard or use public transit.

Tess Vigil, owner of 50 Dresses by Tess Vigil, is a dressmaker who also teaches sewing lessons. She often rides her bike to work and says the bridge has made her commute more enjoyable.

“I have noticed my own ability to get to the neighborhood is so much greater,” Vigil said. “I’m really excited about this bridge.”