The Towson University West Village Bridge is officially open to pedestrian traffic.
In a ceremony that took place Friday, Aug. 22, university officials cut the ribbon on the newly constructed bridge before an audience of more than 700 students, faculty and staff members.
Taking several months to build and costing more than $16 million, the bridge was built over Osler Drive to provide students with safe passage to and from the West Village and the main academic precinct of campus. It is estimated that 3,500 students will cross the bridge every day.
A new traffic light on Osler was also installed, to improve vehicle travel in the highly congested area, and a pedestrian walkway was constructed to increase accessibility from the southeast end of Linthicum Hall (closest to “the beach”) east along Cook Library to Newell Hall.
The honor of cutting the ribbon was shared by Timothy Chandler, acting president of Towson University; Jerry Dieringer, assistant vice president for student affairs; Kevin Kutner, president of the Student Government Association; and Alex Crenshaw, president of the University Residence Government.
“This bridge has both great practical value and powerful symbolic significance for us on this campus,” remarked Acting President Chandler. “For while it removes barriers and provides a pathway it also facilitates connections and enhances relationships.”
“More than 3,000 students, faculty and staff cross this road behind us every day,” he continued. “Imagine how much safer they’re going to feel and how much better I’m going to sleep.”
Once the ribbon was cut, the TU Marching Band led the crowd in an official maiden voyage over the bridge.
