The City is making some changes as to when people can access the pedestrian bridge that spans the Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids.
Beginning on Friday, June 9, the pedestrian-only Blue Bridge will close from midnight to 6 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights until further notice. The decision was made jointly by GRPD, Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc. and the City of Grand Rapids in light of recent activity.
“We want to set the expectation early on this summer that the Blue Bridge is not a place for large crowds to gather in the overnight hours,” Chief Eric Winstrom said. “This is a proactive step we are taking as GRPD, DGRI, the City and other stakeholders work together to provide a safe and welcoming environment for residents and visitors.”
Detectives continue to investigate the incident in which a vehicle was struck by gunfire near the bridge in the early morning hours on Sunday. “We are reviewing video footage from multiple sources,” said Winstrom. “And while we are not ready to seek charges for the person who fired the shots that hit the vehicle, six arrests have been made in conjunction with large gatherings on the bridge over the weekend. We are focused on taking both enforcement action and preventative action to keep our community safe.”
Pedestrian access to cross the Grand River remains available on Pearl Street NW and Fulton Street W. Late-night DASH service provides public transit access near the west end of the bridge.
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