The city of Lone Tree is a Denver suburb that has seen a lot of growth in recent years. Not all that long ago, it was just a cluster of houses nestled near Interstate 25 on the south side of the metro area. However, in recent years, a large complex of business properties, shopping, entertainment venues, and, of course, more homes, have sprung up. A large complex for Charles Schwab and the massive Sky Ridge Medical Center are two of the most prominent features of the town. With so much more infrastructure springing up, the city decided it wise to create a pedestrian bridge spanning the very busy Lincoln Avenue. The bridge opened to pedestrians and cyclists in 2018.
This section of Lincoln Avenue has been a part of my daily commute for several years now, so I got to see this bridge go up gradually. During its construction, some odd-shaped bits of metal showed up by the side of the road. Eventually, these items were put into place on the south side of the bridge. Soon it became clear that these were, in fact, the pieces of a large metal sculpture of a leaf.
The leaf is humongous, to say the least, and certainly makes an impression on travelers exiting I-25 and heading west into Lone Tree's business district. It towers over everything else on the block. In fact, I often see a hawk who likes to perch on the top of the sculpture, as I'm sure it provides a nice view when trying to spot breakfast scurrying around in the nearby fields.
The north side of the bridge also has a unique feature. There you will find an impressive ramp structure that seems to have been designed specifically with cyclists in mind. The bridge does provide access to the trail system that winds through Lone Tree and is a favorite for both hikers and cyclists.
The Lone Tree Pedestrian Bridge was awarded a 2019 American Architecture Award. You'll find the bridge spanning Lincoln Avenue, just east of Yosemite Street.
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