The University of Texas at Arlington’s north and south bridges, which span Cooper Street to connect two sides of the campus, are seen by thousands of drivers every day. But many drivers wouldn’t know they’re passing by one of Texas’ largest universities.
For years, the university planned to change that.
Now, the bridges have the UTA logo and horses — the university’s mascot — on the exterior traffic-facing signs. The $2.5 million renovation project is a part of the UTA by 2030 strategic plan to redefine the university’s community impact.
“The updated imagery on our bridges creates a welcoming gateway to our campus,” university President Jennifer Cowley said in an email statement. “My hope is that the bridges serve as a landmark, so that people know they’re driving through one of the largest and most impactful universities in Texas.”
The university announced in January 2023 the plan to renovate the north and south bridges, which arch high over six lanes of moving traffic along Cooper Street.
To complete the project, UTA closed one lane in both directions of Cooper Street from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
“This is a very important project for administration,” Hughey said. “Our branding is critical to the institution.”
The project’s development also saw involvement from students in the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs. Last year, a group of five students won a competition seeking design ideas for renovating the bridges.
As part of the winning prize, students joined the university in interviewing and selecting the contractor that would bring the bridge renovations to life. Fort Worth-based construction company SpawGlass was picked for the job.
“We also thought the bridge redesign would provide our students in the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs with real-world experience — from design to project management,” Cowley said.
The best part about winning was being a part of those conversations, graduate student Patricia Cerda said.
“The facilities department was so inclusive of us and let us kind of speak our mind in those spaces when they didn’t have to be so welcoming,” Cerda said.
However, the vision is bigger for Cerda and her team, which won the competition with a design that constructs a deck over Cooper Street that holds green space, social spaces and paths for pedestrians — similar to Dallas’ Klyde Warren Park.
While the budget didn’t allow UTA to realize the team’s design, Cerda said she thinks the new project still provides a different experience for those using or viewing the bridges.
Editor’s Note: The story was updated May 8, 2024, to reflect that horses are UT Arlington’s mascot.
Dang Le is a reporting fellow for the Arlington Report. Contact him at dang.le@fortworthreport.org or @DangHLe.
Olla Mokhtar is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. You can contact her at olla.mokhtar@fortworthreport.org.
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This article first appeared on Arlington Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.