After years of planning, the City of Englewood is preparing to break ground on the long-anticipated Oxford Pedestrian Bridge this June. The structure, designed to span Oxford Avenue just east of Santa Fe Drive, will serve as a key link in the city’s broader efforts to improve pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure through its 2015 Walk and Wheel Master Plan.

Mayor Othoniel Sierra and members of the local advocacy group Vibrant Englewood are optimistic about the project’s potential, though some community members remain skeptical about the bridge’s design and accessibility.

City Officials Highlight Safety and Access Improvements

Mayor Sierra emphasized the importance of the bridge in improving traffic safety and encouraging non-vehicular travel in a high-traffic area.

“I’m really glad to see this project moving forward. That intersection has been a challenge, especially during rush hour,” Sierra said. “This bridge will create a safer, more predictable route for people walking or biking through the area. It’s going to make a real difference in safety and accessibility. Right now, crossing Oxford can be tricky, especially for kids, families or anyone trying to connect to the light rail.”

City Council approved a key land purchase and temporary easements for the project at a meeting on May 5. Though construction had originally been scheduled to begin in May, it is now expected to start in June, with completion targeted for January 2026.

Victor Rachael, Englewood’s director of public works, underscored the bridge’s importance in the city’s transportation planning.

“This bridge will not only provide a safer route for pedestrians, but also help alleviate traffic congestion and integrate into future transportation plans designed to make the city more accessible and sustainable,” Rachael said.

Advocacy Group Supports Vision, Questions Execution

Noah Kaplan, founder of Vibrant Englewood, said the organization supports the city’s investment in pedestrian-oriented infrastructure and views the bridge as a step in the right direction.

“Englewood’s built environment, like nearly everywhere in the United States, has historically prioritized cars at the expense of creating spaces and routes for people,” Kaplan said. “It’s very positive to see the city identifying and implementing infrastructure changes that support a variety of mobility options in our community.”

However, Kaplan also voiced concerns that the bridge’s design may reduce its overall effectiveness by making it less convenient than simply using the existing crosswalk.

“As Mayor Othoiel Sierra has raised multiple times at council meetings, the current design of the bridge may have a negative impact on its usefulness,” Kaplan said. “The location of the bridge requires users to ascend from the sidewalk level, cross the bridge and then descend on the other side, which potentially requires significantly more time and energy than simply crossing at the current crosswalk.”

Kaplan added that the bridge fails to provide a seamless connection across the adjacent RTD station, which could further discourage use.

“It’s a common problem with this type of infrastructure project that designers expect non-car users to go out of their way so that cars don’t have to wait or slow down,” Kaplan said. “There is a risk of this project becoming a ‘bridge to nowhere’ because the design doesn’t take into account how humans actually behave.”

Addressing the Design Criticism

Mayor Sierra acknowledged that the bridge’s alignment and design were points of concern early in the planning process. However, he said the city has made modifications to ensure the bridge remains functional and attractive to users.

“I was worried the bridge wouldn’t connect closely enough to the light rail station,” Sierra said. “If the path feels too out of the way, people might just stick to the road. I’m glad we’ve worked to make sure the design brings users right where they need to go so the bridge actually gets used.”

Strategic Role in Larger Vision

City officials see the Oxford Pedestrian Bridge not just as a standalone project but as part of a broader push to create a safer, more connected active transportation network across Englewood.

“By creating an elevated path for pedestrians, the bridge will help reduce congestion on Oxford Avenue, particularly during peak traffic hours when vehicles often trigger red lights that slow the flow of traffic,” said Rachael.

One key aspect of that broader network is the planned Rail Trail—a car-free pedestrian and cyclist corridor that will run parallel to the Santa Fe rail line and link major destinations throughout the city.

“The most important role this bridge can play is as one piece of the eventual Rail Trail connecting the west side of Englewood from north to south with a car-free, multi-use route,” Kaplan said. “The Rail Trail has the potential to connect walkers and bikers with the two RTD stations along the route, as well as increasing ease of access to the Mary Carter Greenway trail and the South Platte River trail as part of the larger Denver metro area transportation network.”

Mayor Sierra echoed the sentiment, describing the bridge as a pivotal step in building out Englewood’s regional trail system.

“It also marks a big step forward in completing the Englewood Rail Trail, which is an exciting piece of our larger vision for connected, active transportation,” Sierra said.

Final Thoughts and Funding

Despite their differing views on design, both Sierra and Kaplan agree the bridge has a critical role to play in shaping a more accessible and multimodal Englewood. Still, Kaplan remains cautious.

“If the only purpose of this bridge ends up being as one option to get people over Oxford, but it requires a lot more time and energy compared with just using the crosswalk, the bridge is not going to be heavily used,” Kaplan said. “I would love to be proven wrong about this being a poor design that results in an under-utilized resource after all of this investment from the city, but I am very skeptical at the moment.”

Funding for the bridge comes primarily from a federal grant, which covers 80% of the project’s cost. The remaining funds will be supplied by the city and supplemented by contributions from a development agreement related to nearby redevelopment at Oxford Avenue and Navajo Street.

For additional project updates, visit https://www.engaged.englewoodco.gov/oxford-ave.

Originally reported by Elisabeth Stay in Englewood Herald.