The city’s newest bicycle-pedestrian bridge will be dedicated Friday near its Euclid-Park Avenue location.
The bridge, dubbed the Basket Bridge because it was designed to resemble a stylized Tohono O’odham woven basket, completes a nine-mile, unbroken link for cyclists, walkers and joggers from the downtown area to the Pantano area on the far East Side.
The 240-foot-long, 110-ton span complements the city’s Diamondback Bridge that spans Broadway just west of the Barraza-Aviation Parkway.
The 9 a.m. dedication ceremony is timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the University Medical Center El Tour de Tucson presented by Diamond Ventures bicycle event around the perimeter of the city.
Scheduled to attend the dedication are Greg LeMond, three-time Tour de France winner; Tatsuo Okada of Tokyo, Japan, founder of the Ecoflag Movement; Andy Clarke, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists; and Richard DeBernardis, president of Perimeter Bicycling Association of America.
City and Pima County officials will conduct the dedication, which will take place at the Park Avenue and 14th Street cul-de-sac east of the bridge. City TICET shuttle buses will transport participants and members of the public to and from the dedication for free from a parking lot at 930 E. Broadway starting at 8 a.m.
Slideshow
Basket Bridge
The Basket Bridge, spanning South Euclid Avenue south of East Broadway, will be constructed over the Labor Day weekend. Decorative metal panels that resemble the pattern of a Tohono O’odham basket will serve as side panels for the span. At 11 p.m. on Friday, August 31, South Euclid Avenue will be closed for the holiday weekend.
Producer: Norma Jean Gargasz and Val Canez
Slide 1 of 22 [Next | Previous].
Workers continue working on the large metal panels of the Basket Bridge being constructed over Euclid Sunday afternoon as the road was still closed to traffic but scheduled to open for Monday.
Source: FRANCISCO MEDINA/Tucson CitizenSlide 2 of 22 [Next | Previous].
Workers continue working on the large metal panels of the Basket Bridge being constructed over Euclid Sunday afternoon as the road was still closed to traffic but scheduled to open for Monday.
Source: FRANCISCO MEDINA/Tucson CitizenSlide 3 of 22 [Next | Previous].
Workers continue working on the large metal panels of the Basket Bridge being constructed over Euclid Sunday afternoon as the road was still closed to traffic but scheduled to open for Monday.
Source: FRANCISCO MEDINA/Tucson CitizenSlide 4 of 22 [Next | Previous].
This is a view of the basket bridge, over South Park Avenue Monday afternoon, September 3, 2007. Much of the bridge has already been constructed over the southbound lanes of South Park Avenue.
Source: VAL CANEZ/Tucson CitizenSlide 5 of 22 [Next | Previous].
This is a view of the basket bridge, over South Park Avenue Monday afternoon, September 3, 2007. Much of the bridge has already been constructed over the southbound lanes of South Park Avenue.
Source: VAL CANEZ/Tucson CitizenSlide 6 of 22 [Next | Previous].
Workers from Ironco steady a metal frame hoisted to the base of the Basket Bridge on August 31.
Source: Norma Jean GargaszSlide 7 of 22 [Next | Previous].
Decorative metal panels that resemble the pattern of a Tohono O'odham basket will be attached to the frame of the Basket Bridge over Labor Day weekend.
Source: Norma Jean GargaszSlide 8 of 22 [Next | Previous].
Workers from Ironco steady a metal frame hoisted to the base of the Basket Bridge on August 31 in preparation for work over the weekend.
Source: Norma Jean GargaszSlide 9 of 22 [Next | Previous].
Decorative metal panels that resemble the pattern of a Tohono O'odham basket will be installed over Labor Day weekend.
Source: Norma Jean GargaszSlide 10 of 22 [Next | Previous].
Decorative metal panels that resemble the pattern of a Tohono O'odham basket will be attached to the frame of the Basket Bridge over Labor Day weekend.
Source: Norma Jean GargaszSlide 11 of 22 [Next | Previous].
The large metal panels of the Basket Bridge being constructed over Euclid were raised early Saturday morning, Sept. 1, 2007.
Source: RENEE BRACAMONTE/Tucson CitizenSlide 12 of 22 [Next | Previous].
Construction workers build the Basket Bridge in the early afternoon heat of Saturday, Sept. 1, 2007.
Source: RENEE BRACAMONTE/Tucson CitizenSlide 13 of 22 [Next | Previous].
Construction workers build the Basket Bridge, Saturday, Sept. 1, 2007. The design on the pilars are silimlar to the design of the metal panels.
Source: RENEE BRACAMONTE/Tucson CitizenSlide 14 of 22 [Next | Previous].
The large metal panels of the Basket Bridge being constructed over Euclid were raised early Saturday morning, Sept. 1, 2007.
Source: RENEE BRACAMONTE/Tucson CitizenSlide 15 of 22 [Next | Previous].
The design on the metal panels of the Basket Bridge resemble a design of a Tohono O'odham basket.
Source: RENEE BRACAMONTE/Tucson CitizenSlide 16 of 22 [Next | Previous].
The large metal panels of the Basket Bridge being constructed over Euclid were raised early Saturday morning, Sept. 1, 2007. The construction on Euclid will continue through Labor Day.
Source: RENEE BRACAMONTE/Tucson CitizenSlide 17 of 22 [Next | Previous].
Construction workers build the Basket Bridge in the early afternoon heat of Saturday, Sept. 1, 2007.
Source: RENEE BRACAMONTE/Tucson CitizenSlide 18 of 22 [Next | Previous].
Bryson Cherisom of Ironco monitors the progress of the installation of a metal frame on August 31.
Source: Norma Jean GargaszSlide 19 of 22 [Next | Previous].
Bryson Cherisom, (left), and Bill Jackson from Ironco attach a metal frame to the base of the Basket Bridge on August 31.
Source: Norma Jean GargaszSlide 20 of 22 [Next | Previous].
Isben Quenteros, (left), Bryson Cherisom, and Bill Jackson from Ironco, along with Brandon Wright of Granite Construction, attach a metal frame to the base of the Basket Bridge on August 31.
Source: Norma Jean GargaszSlide 21 of 22 [Next | Previous].
Brandon Wright of Granite Construction checks the alignment of a metal frame to the base of the Basket Bridge under construction on August 31.
Source: Norma Jean GargaszSlide 22 of 22 [Next | Previous].
The Basket Bridge, under construction on South Euclid Avenue, sits idle on August 30 until work commences during the road closure over Labor Day weekend.
Source: Norma Jean Gargasz
