Union Street Pedestrian Bridge

Waterfront Seattle improved key east-west streets to better connect downtown to the waterfront. Each of these streets had its own character, linking different neighborhoods and opening them up to the new waterfront. The Union Street Pedestrian Bridge was one of the important projects to reconnect downtown neighborhoods to the waterfront.

Since downtown Seattle is built on a bluff, getting around the terrain was tricky. The new Union Street Pedestrian Bridge, which opened in December 2022, made it easier. It included a big concrete staircase, an elevator for accessibility, a wide elevated walkway, and artwork that made it a unique landmark.

The elevator was designed to be safe and easy to use, with bright lighting and clear glass. The doors worked well for people using wheelchairs or strollers. Before the bridge project, there was only a narrow metal staircase that wasn’t very safe or user-friendly. Pedestrians also had to cross a street used by trucks for nearby loading docks.

The new bridge and stairs created a welcoming entrance to the waterfront and downtown. The project was a success thanks to the teamwork of architects, engineers, city staff, and an artist.

Enhancing Public Safety Through Design

Environmental design principles were applied to enhance public safety by emphasizing urban and architectural design. This is called Crime Prevention through environmental design (CPTED).  Material selection was heavily influenced by visibility and sight lines, future maintainability, and quality, all critical to establishing a comfortable and safe place that attracts public use and ultimately, community ownership.

  • The single stanchion cable mesh railing system maximizes transparency and enhances visibility to and from the bridge.
  • A transparent elevator cab provides users with a more comfortable experience by being able to see outside and knowing they are visible from the outside.
  • Lighting is seamlessly integrated into the handrails to illuminate the walking surface and provide facial and improved visual acuity for recognition of oncoming travelers. The elevator tower is a luminous beacon at night for wayfinding and safety, with fixtures inside at the base of the enclosure and located to minimize light pollution.

The walking surface of the bridge deck and stairs were sand blasted for additional slip resistance and specialty coatings applied at each end of the bridge. Grip rails are integrated into the bridge and stair railing system to provide added comfort to users. A double-sided elevator, sized to accommodate both bicyclists and wheeled mobility devices, was selected to allow for seamless flow of traffic and provides access in a highly visible and activated area.

View more images on the Union Street Pedestrian Bridge Flickr

Award Winning

Union St Pedestrian Bridge received the 2023 Award of Merit - Highway/Bridge from Engineering Record Northwest, the National Construction Management Association of America 2023 Project Achievement Transportation under $10 Million Award, the Construction Management Association of America Pacific Northwest Chapter 2023 Project of the Year Award, and was the Runner Up for the Excellence in Concrete 2025 Infrastructure Non-Transportation category.

Project Gallery

Aerial view looking down at the new Union Street Pedestrian Bridge Union Street Pedestrian Bridge under construction Completed view of the Union Street Pedestrian Bridge A night shot of the Illuminated Union Street Pedestrian Bridge Group shot of ribbon cutting of the new bridge View from Alaskan Way at Union Street, looking east View from Alaskan Way at Union Street, looking east

Art - Unfurling a Gesture

People blowing bubbles in front of Unfurling a Gesture sculpture

Waterfront goers enjoying a day near the Unfurling a Gesture sculpture. (Credit: Spike Mafford Photography)

Artist Norie Sato created a unique artwork for the Seattle waterfront. Her piece, called Unfurling a Gesture (The Nature of Persistence), was inspired by nature and the environment around the site. During her research, Sato noticed a fern growing out of a crack in a nearby building and the many seagulls common to the area. She combined these two elements—plants and animals—into her design to highlight the ecology that survives alongside the built structures of the waterfront.

The main part of the artwork is a large steel sculpture over the stairs leading from the pedestrian bridge to Alaskan Way. It acts as a gateway and a landmark, connecting the waterfront to Western Avenue. While it was originally meant to represent a fern, people see it in different ways—some say it looks like a fishbone or a feather. No matter the interpretation, it ties back to the plants and animals of the waterfront ecosystem. 

There’s also a long screen at the top of the stairs that blocks the view of a nearby property. This screen includes images of a fern, made with perforated aluminum, and a seagull’s wingspan, cut into stainless steel. These designs connect to the natural life of the shoreline.

This isn’t Sato’s first artwork for the area. In 1991, she created a temporary piece on the waterfront to mark where she first arrived in the U.S. by ship. You can watch a video of Sato sharing her personal connection to the Seattle waterfront and explaining the ideas behind her work.