TOPEKA (KSNT) – Topeka is due to get a new bridge for exclusive pedestrian use, but where does the project stand in 2026?
Officials and local leaders associated with the Topeka Riverfront Advisory Council (RAC) announced the plans to install a new “iconic pedestrian bridge” in October 2024. The new bridge will sit between the Topeka Boulevard and Kansas Avenue bridges, connecting north Topeka to the downtown area.
We caught up with Sean Dixon, senior vice president of the Greater Topeka Partnership, to find out where the project currently stands over a year after its initial reveal and if locals can expect anything to happen with it in 2026. He said the RAC is still gathering a lot of information and working with other partners to bring the vision to life.
“We’re being very intentional about getting something done,” Dixon said.
(Photo Courtesy/Greater Topeka Partnership)
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Local residents identified a new pedestrian bridge as their top pick for developing the area during an opinion survey a few years ago. Topekans also indicated other selections such as new picnic areas and walking trails in the survey regarding things they’d like to see added to the riverfront.
Dixon said the work to reimagine Topeka’s riverfront area has been in the works for decades. He said the RAC is currently focused on working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other groups to make sure the river is a safe place for people to enjoy. This includes removing debris and hazardous pieces of steel from the river, some of which was left behind by the historic 1951 flood.
“We’re very focused on getting something done now, some sort of remediation,” Dixon said.
The 1951 flood devastated much of the Topeka area, putting many areas underwater and killing two dozen people, according to the National Weather Service. During that historic flood, pieces of railroad debris and a locomotive were sent into the Kansas River where it remains to this day.
Dixon said the hope is to remove much of this debris that has built up over the years, including the locomotive that is still in the river. However, he said there are still many other steps that need to be taken first.
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“I can’t guarantee it’ll be removed,” Dixon said.
Dixon said the current focus on the riverfront project is securing funds. He said the project will likely take a mix of public and private funds to be fully realized.
“All of that work is still ahead of us and will probably take several legislative cycles to get that done,” Dixon said.
Dixon said that progress on the riverfront and the proposed new bridge can’t happen overnight, but will involve a steady amount of effort on the part of the RAC to bring the vision to life. You can learn more about the riverfront plan by clicking here.
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