Brady Street Posttensioned Concrete Pedestrian Bridge in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The Brady Street pedestrian bridge connects a bluff-top neighborhood and a regional bike trail to the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, lakefront at McKinley Park. The existing structure was a pedestrian stairway system that was functionally obsolete and did not meet current requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The new bridge is an outstanding Wisconsin one-of-a-kind, posttensioned concrete bridge spanning Lincoln Memorial Drive, a major arterial street, as well as a bike path that connects the Brady Street District to the Oak Leaf Trail and to the lakefront. The design concept and the challenges faced while an aesthetically pleasing landmark in Milwaukee was developed are described.