Carries Pedestrians Design Cable-Stayed Opened 2005 Cross West River Drive | Locale Davenport, Iowa Total length 175 m Height 15 m Construction cost 7 million USD | |
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Crosses River Drive (Highway 67) Bridge type Cable-stayed bridge, Suspension bridge Similar Vander Veer Botanical, German American Heritage, Credit Island, Putnam Museum, Rhythm City Casino Resort™ | ||
The Davenport Skybridge is a pedestrian cable-stayed bridge that spans River Drive (Highway 67) in downtown Davenport, Iowa. It connects LeClaire Park and Rhythm City Casino to a courtyard and parking ramp on 2nd Street, located right next to the River Music Experience. The bridge is 50 feet (15 m) tall and 575 feet (175 m) long, and was completed in 2005. It was designed by Holabird & Root and Neumann Monson, P.C.
At the south end, facing the river, is an observation deck with a view of the Mississippi River, LeClaire Park Bandshell, the Centennial Bridge, and the Davenport Levee, where many festivals take place throughout the warmer months.
The inside of the Skybridge contains kaleidoscope lighting. The lighting consists of 228 LED fixtures and 8,036 individual lights. The LEDs are capable of displaying various patterns. The lighting color and patterns can be adjusted for events occurring in the area, such as a red, white, and blue color scheme for the 4th of July; red and green for Christmas; and various other patterns.
The Skybridge was a component of the Riverfront/Downtown Davenport improvement program, River Renaissance. The total cost of the structure was $7 million. Iowa taxpayers provided $3.5 million in the form of a Vision Iowa grant, Rhythm City Casino paid $2 million, and the City of Davenport taxpayers spent $500,000 for its initial construction. The Riverboat Development Authority, the agency responsible for distributing some of the taxes collected from Rhythm City, allocated $1.3 million. The bridge's stated purpose is to serve as a tourism attraction with a unique vantage point of the Mississippi River, while also functioning as a safe way to cross the highway.