Ten years ago, on March 29, 2012, the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge – designed by internationally renowned architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava – opened after seven years of construction at approximately $180 million. The bridge received an Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award from the Texas Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the 2012 European Convention for Constructional Steelwork Award for Steel Bridges. The Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge is Calatrava’s first vehicular span in the United States.
Located in downtown Dallas, the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge provides the city of Dallas with a signature structure visible from a distance in every direction. Carrying six traffic lanes across the Trinity River corridor, the bridge is 1206 feet long, 120 feet wide, and spans 603 feet – its parabolic pylon (shining white steel arch) rising 446 feet above the decking. Fifty-eight cables radiate from it lyrically, akin to a gigantic musical instrument.
The Ronald Kirk Pedestrian Bridge parallels it and can be used as the perfect vantage point. Whether the season or the time of day or night, the way of travel, or the viewing point around the compass, the bridge stands out and is a sight to behold and photograph. The following photos were taken by me on the night preceding its official inauguration – the only time pedestrians were allowed on it.
