LA neighborhoods to transform forever with new $31M bridge connecting two major parks

A long-planned $31 million bridge linking Glendale and Los Angeles is moving forward — and it could permanently reshape how people experience some of the area’s beloved green spaces.

The Glendale City Council voted earlier in June to approve the environmental study for the flashy Glendale-Los Angeles Garden River Bridge Project that connects two urban oases. The move effectively gives bureaucrats the thumbs-up to start spending cash and get construction going.

The bridge will stretch roughly 320 feet across the Los Angeles River near the intersection of Flower Street and Fairmont Avenue, connecting the Glendale Narrows Riverwalk to the iconic Griffith Park, providing a safe new route for walkers, cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts.

The bridge marks Phase III of Glendale’s long-running Riverwalk project, a vision more than a decade in the making to transform the city’s stretch of the Los Angeles River. The broader Riverwalk already features trails, parks, and equestrian amenities along the bank, across from Griffith Park.

Once this phase is complete, the corridor will offer about a mile of connected recreation trails.

The landscaped structure is more than just a simple crossing. Plans call for a curved design featuring canopied seating area, gathering spaces, river overlooks and extensive landscaping to make the bridge itself a destination. City officials also envision shaded areas with native plants and public art.

Designed by landscape architecture firm Olin, the project is being pitched as more of a floating luxury park than a basic walkway.

Online, residents are popping the champagne.

On local Reddit forums, many fitness enthusiasts are thrilled about the upgrade.

“LA river is great for running, so a path from Glendale to LA would personally make my runs safer and more enjoyable,” one commenter wrote.

Another added, “Sick, I’ve been wanting to walk to the zoo.”

But don’t lace up the running shoes just yet. Even if construction — which is expected to last two and a half years — goes completely smoothly, the bridge isn’t slated to welcome a single pedestrian or cyclist until 2031.

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