What is the future of the Mayo Bridge? Forum set for May 20

The Manchester Alliance and Shockoe Partnership are working with other organizations including Bike Walk RVA, Venture Richmond, BridgePark, and Friends of the James River Park, to host a community conversation about the new Mayo Bridge on Monday, May 20 at 5:30PM at Studio Two Three:

The replacement of the historic Mayo Bridge, which connects Shockoe Bottom to Manchester via 14th St. and Hull St., is literally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Let’s make sure to get its programming and design right!

Join leaders from the Manchester Alliance, Shockoe Partnership, Bike Walk RVA, Venture Richmond, and the City of Richmond with designers from BridgePark + SMBW + Marvel, to explore what kind of Mayo Bridge our communities want and need. There’s no question that this effort is intentionally early in the process. While there has been no official public meeting since 2022 and design and construction are off in the future, it is nonetheless critically important to conduct this community visioning process before irreversible assumptions are made and steps are taken in this long lead time project.

How can the forthcoming new Mayo Bridge serve all of its impacted communities, neighborhoods, and River users? How can the new bridge enhance the access, sense of place and programming planned for the new Mayo Island Park? For those biking along the River and accessing the Capital Trail and Fall Line Trail and for those exploring the James River Parks system and walking the Loop, the decisions to be made about the new Mayo Bridge will impact, in a very meaningful way, the quality of experiences and, ultimately, the quality of life for all of the stakeholders in this historic area of our downtown. This opportunity to ensure public safety and enhance Manchester and Shockoe Bottom as desirable destinations with placemaking, greenspace, and a welcoming environment, if done right, will ensure that local businesses thrive and visitors enjoy their experiences in downtown RVA and along the James River Riverfront.

Please join the conversation on May 20 at Studio Two Three. Space will still be limited, so pre-registration is strongly encouraged.