28-05-2025
Historic Denver calls proposed Lincoln Street walkway ‘wasteful,' ‘functionally useless'
DENVER (KDVR) — In 2026, Colorado is set to celebrate its 150th birthday, and the state is planning to construct 'an iconic pedestrian walkway connecting the Colorado State Capitol, Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park and Civic Center,' but some have concerns.
The walkway would form a loop in the northern part of Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park before crossing Lincoln Street and ending at the steps to the Colorado Capitol building. On Facebook, Gov. Jared Polis touted the walkway as making it easier for visitors to the Capitol to 'access and enjoy Lincoln Veterans Park while enjoying and learning from art from local artists.'
FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox
'This interactive experience will showcase Colorado's history and look to our even stronger future,' Polis wrote on Facebook on Sunday.
Others are not quite as sold on the idea, including Historic Denver, a nonprofit that focuses on preserving urban history. The organization stated in a release that it does not believe the proposed design 'aligns with federal guidelines, city policy, nor the State's own 2019 Cultural Landscape Report.'
'Functionally, the raised walkway does not follow the paths naturally followed by pedestrians as they make their way between two places,' the organization said in a press release. 'Historic Denver questions whether the bridge will be utilized by most pedestrians, who will continue to utilize the at-grade crossings at Colfax and 14th Avenues. Indeed, many urban pedestrian bridges, once common in cities such as Minneapolis and Cincinnati, have since been dismantled due to underuse, safety issues, and their negative effect on street-level vitality.'
The Governor's Office said the design reflects Colorado's topography, 'specifically the state's flowing rivers.' The walkway will include Colorado materials, like sandstone, marble and granite, and will also feature viewing platforms, sculptural monuments and new artworks from Colorado artists.
Historic Denver also questioned whether the bridge would impact civic protests staged at the Capitol, such as the recent 50501 protests.
'Denver Civic Center Historic District is one of the city's most historic places, afforded the highest possible level of recognition at both federal and local levels,' wrote John Deffenbaugh, president and CEO of Historic Denver. 'Historic Denver supports the State's desire to use art to celebrate the anniversary, but we believe this is the wrong way to go about it. Plowing a functionally useless bridge through this historic site serves no purpose but does extensive damage.'
These scenic train rides through Colorado are among the nation's best: USA Today
Deffenbaugh added that he's aware that the Denver Landmark Preservation Commission must approve the overpass bridge before the project can move forward.
'We urge the Commission and the public to oppose this wasteful proposal and, instead, consider measures to prioritize pedestrians, enhance crosswalks, and calm traffic to create a safer and more pedestrian-friendly environment at street level,' Deffenbaugh said.
To that end, Historic Denver has started a petition.
Historic Denver also says the construction of the walkway would cost up to $20 million, and could be expanded to also span Broadway.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
