Proposed pedestrian bridge to cross Inner Harbor

I’ve always thought it a shame that Baltimore’s Harbor Tunnel wasn’t built as a suspension bridge. What a glorious sight that would be, with the skyline as a backdrop. Now Baltimore may be getting a second chance with a proposed cable-stayed pedestrian bridge over the harbor.

The Greater Baltimore Committee — basically the chamber of commerce — is considering ideas to redevelop Rash Field, the underused waterfront park space between Federal Hill and the Inner Harbor. So far their leading idea is to improve access to the park via a new pedestrian bridge crossing the Inner Harbor, connecting Rash Field and Federal Hill to the booming Harbor East area (see map).

The idea seems like a real winner all around. It would connect two neighborhoods of Baltimore that are extremely close geographically but extremely difficult to navigate between, and it would provide a visually beautiful, dramatic addition to the city’s skyline. A suspension or cable-stayed bridge over the Inner Harbor would instantly become one of the city’s most important visual icons.

The bridge would be designed to open, to let tall ships such as the Pride of Baltimore in and out of the Inner Harbor.

This is still a preliminary idea. It’s no sure thing to happen, and even if it does move forward the design could change dramatically. But those caveats aside, GBC’s rendering of what such a bridge might look like shows what could become a landmark feature for the Inner Harbor.