Trinity River Project - History

History

Businesses and businessmen, like Ross Perot, Jr., have pushed in recent years to build a multi-million-dollar, landmark bridge over the river and convert the section of the river near downtown into a park area with nearby commercial and retail services somewhat similar to the River Walk in San Antonio or Lady Bird Lake in Austin.

In 1998, then-mayor Ron Kirk championed a new project that aimed to renovate the river through Dallas. Voters approved a bond proposal to fund a major cleanup of the river, construction of park facilities, wildlife habitats, flood-protection devices such as levees, and related road construction. Once passed, a planning process began with construction on the project starting in 2005. Proponents believe this development will bring more life, commerce, revenue to the downtown Dallas region.

On December 12, 2005, construction on the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge began — the bridge is one of three Santiago Calatrava-designed bridges to be constructed as part of the project. Though official construction began almost a year and a half earlier, heavy construction did not start until June 2008. Completed in 2012, it connects Woodall Rodgers Freeway in downtown to Singleton Avenue in west Dallas. The cable-stayed bridge cost $93 million, its total length is 570 meters (1,870 ft) with a main span of 365 meters (1,198 ft), and an apex-height of 122 meters (400 ft).