‘It’s been a long time’: Riverfront Park’s twin suspension bridges open after years of construction

More than just blue skies and sun greeted Riverfront Park goers Friday; The twin pedestrian suspension bridges that connect Havermale and sn̓xʷméneʔ islands were both open after years of construction.

Except for a three-month stint in 2022, at least one of the bridges has been closed at any given time since work began on the north bridge in May 2021.

Standing on the suspension bridges, pedestrians have an up-close view of the river. The sound of the falls is louder, the smell of the water is stronger and mist from the rapids reaches the bridges. Many stopped to take photos of the rushing water.

“It’s gorgeous. It’s absolutely gorgeous,” said Tamara Chadwick, who recently moved to Spokane. Chadwick was taking a stroll through the park with her out-of-town friend Tina Rash.

The pair didn’t realize the bridges had just opened.

“We’re really lucky, we just stumbled upon this,” Chadwick said while standing between the two bridges on sn̓xʷméneʔ (pronounced sin-HOO-men-huh) Island.

Later, the pair took a selfie together with the falls in the background.

Spokane resident John Nugent was crossing the twin bridges Friday with his dog Pepper.

“We’re here to check it out; we heard that it was open,” he said. “I’m happy it’s open. It’s been a long time.”

It was his dog’s inaugural trip across the bridge.

“She hasn’t been over the bridge yet,” Nugent said. “This is her first time.”

The two bridges were built for Expo ’74 “to help bring people into the center of the park and to connect them closer with the river,” parks department spokesperson Fianna Dickson said in a video released by the city. “It’s of course a sure sign of spring that the roaring river falls are raging through downtown, so it’s a perfect time for us to be able to reopen them.”

The city completed the renovation of both bridges on schedule and on budget. Reconstruction of both bridges cost $5.7 million. Work on the bridges included the construction of new decks, new railings and new lighting.

“The idea is that these bridges will survive for the next 50 years,” Dickson said.