Photo by Jon Anderson
This pedestrian bridge is set to be installed over U.S. 31 in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, between 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 22, 2025, and 6 a.m. on Monday, June 23, 2025.
The Alabama Department of Transportation will be closing both the northbound and southbound sides of U.S. 31 in Vestavia Hills on Sunday night, June 22, for the installation of a new pedestrian bridge.
The bridge is being installed between Wald Park and the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest. The road is scheduled to be shut down for up to 7½ hours between 10:30 p.m. Sunday, June 22, and 6 a.m. on Monday, June 23. Traffic will be rerouted from the light at Baumhower's Victory Grill, behind Wald Park and back to U.S. 31 at Vestavia Hills Elementary Central, Assistant City Manager Cinnamon McCulley said.
The 177-foot-long pedestrian bridge has been in the works for 20 years. It will feature an elevator and stairs on the library side of the highway, and the project also includes about 300 feet of reconstructed sidewalks, an additional 280 feet of new sidewalk, and stairs to the library.
The bridge arrived on site about a month ago, and workers have spent the past month doing electrical and lighting work before the bridge is stretched across the highway. The bridge likely won't open until late August to mid-September because, after the meal spans are put in place, workers still will have to install the decking on which people will walk and the elevator and stairs on the library side of the bridge, McCulley said.
Editor's note: This story was updated at 3:45 p.m. on June 16 with additional information from Assistant City Manager Cinnamon McCulley.
