Fargo City Commission votes down pedestrian bridge downtown

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - A long-awaited project in downtown Fargo got the thumbs down from the Fargo City Commission.

At the meeting on Monday, Feb. 6, commissioners discussed moving forward or stopping a proposed pedestrian bridge project. The bridge would connect the walking paths along the river by 2nd. St. N. to the space in front of City Hall.

City workers say the project goes back to 2014 with a study looking at connecting pedestrians with the river and downtown Fargo. Since then, multiple renderings of a proposed bridge were made with costs varying from $6 to $15 million dollars.

The city also secured a federal grant of $2.4 million for the project. However, it will now have to return the money by the end of the year since it was specifically designated for that project.

The commission voted 4-1 to stop the project, with Mayor Tim Mahoney being the lone dissenting vote. Commissioners say they want more of a plan for a proposed plaza in front of city hall before they build a bridge to connect it with the river walk.

Another commissioner said she’s heard an overwhelming negative response from the public about the cost of the project.

If the city would want to pursue the bridge in the future, it would have to re-apply for federal funding, which isn’t guaranteed.

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