Ken Larsen's web site -
Ephesus-Fordham Redevelopment
Pedestrian bridges and tunnels
The Town vision for Ephesus-Fordham touts the to-be-redeveloped area as
"walkable and bikeable". I regard that claim to be an upright lie,
because the area will be criss-crossed by new roads and no pedestrian
bridges or tunnels are planned.
Pedestrian bridges are expensive - up to $ 4 million.
Underpasses/tunnels can be even more expensive.
An underpass along the creek under Fordham Boulevard near the
intersection with Elliott Road looked like a possibility; however, there is
a flooding issue. To overcome the flooding issue, Fordham Boulevard
would have to raised several feet. That likely would make it cost
prohibitive.
(April 25, 2014) Council member Donna Bell is not a proponent of
pedestrian bridges.
She doesn't believe there are enough people who cross Fordham
Boulevard. That may be because it's too dangerous to cross without a
bridge.
(May 3, 2014) Will Raymond: Pedestrian bridges usually work best
when there is either an impassable obstacle - I-40 for instance or a river -
and the bridge is roughly at grade. Folks don't want to climb stairs,
ramps, hills to access.
Here's a GoogleEarth picture of a pedestrian bridge in Rochester,
Minnesota:
It should be noted that Rochester, Minnesota experiences very cold and snowy
winters. An open pedestrian bridge would be preferred for our milder
Chapel Hill climate.