Community Gifts: Big Four Bridge & Waterfront Park

By Carrie Vittitoe

Take a leisurely stroll across the walking bridge. Photo by Paul Schuhmann

Waterfront Park is an 85-acre gift to the residents of both Louisville and Southern Indiana that will continue to give enjoyment for many years to come. It was developed in stages, and parts of it are still in the works. Phase IV, a 22-acre site between 10th and 15th streets, has great historical significance, according to Waterfront Development Corporation President David Karem. “It was the site of foundries that made [much of] the wrought iron on those fabulous balconies in New Orleans,” he says.



One of the most visited parts of Waterfront Park is the Big Four Bridge. The original plan for the walking bridge called for an earthen mound to be the access point for walkers and bikers, but David says this idea was physically impossible to achieve. “The weight was enormous and unstable,” he says, so developers abandoned it. The current circular ramp plan not only offers visitors views of the water, but it allows the lawn beneath the bridge to be used for concerts and events.

Photo by David Boggs

“The bridge is an iconic and popular part of the park,” David says. It has welcomed 3 million people and will continue to beckon many more.

Read about Chef Space, Whiskey Row, the Speed Art Museum, Scarlet's Bakery, the Parklands of Floyds Fork, the Thrive Center, the Louisville Metro Police Foundation, and the Louisville Free Public Library as part of our Community Gifts feature.