THE JUST-OPENED DAVIS AVENUE BRIDGE NOW CONNECTS BRIGHTON HEIGHTS WITH RIVERVIEW PARK. IT REPLACES A VEHICLE BRIDGE THAT WAS DEMOLISHED IN 2009; IT’S FOR PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS ONLY. | PHOTO BY NAOMI GIRSON

Construction has just finished on the Davis Avenue Bridge, shaving 30 minutes off the normal walking commute from the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Brighton Heights to Riverview Park.

The $5.4 million project began in April 2024, but due to a supply-chain issue involving fabricated steel needed for the reconstruction, work had been delayed, according to the Pittsburgh Union Progress.

The original bridge over Woods Run Avenue was built in 1898, but over time it could no longer handle heavy-loaded vehicles and was demolished in 2009, according to a City of Pittsburgh report. The new bridge is a strictly a pedestrian bridge — for walkers and bikers

The new bridge makes the old steep 35-minute route from Brighton Heights to Riverview Park obsolete, with the new trek taking only 5 minutes to reach the 259-acre park known for its wooded trails and steep hillsides.

THE NEW DAVIS AVENUE BRIDGE CONNECTS BRIGHTON HEIGHTS WITH RIVERVIEW PARK. | PHOTO BY NAOMI GIRSON

Pedestrians have already started using it, wasting no time leashing up their dogs and bringing them to break in the new bridge, even if they’re just walking back and forth.

“This project is about progress — bringing long-overdue investment back to the Brighton Heights community. I appreciate everyone’s patience as we work to deliver a bridge that will serve Pittsburghers for generations to come,” Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said in a release.

According to a social media post by City Councilman Bobby Wilson, the completion of this project will be celebrated at a public gathering at 11:30 a.m. June 20. To find the entrance to the bridge in Brighton Heights, take Davis Avenue east until the road ends at the top of the hill.