After more than a decade of planning, Glendale has finally approved a $31M L.A. River bridge to Griffith Park — spanning 320 feet and opening by 2031

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Sofia Delpueche

 –  Staff Writer

 ·  June 22, 2026

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From new transit projects to revitalized public spaces, Los Angeles continues to reshape its urban landscape. Now, one long-planned project along the Los Angeles River has reached a major milestone as the Glendale-Los Angeles Garden River Bridge Project is officially moving forward.

After the Glendale City Council voted to adopt the findings of its environmental study earlier this month, the approval cleared the way for the project’s design team to advance final plans, specifications, and cost estimates before construction can begin, as reported by Urbanize LA.

A new connection to Griffith Park

The bridge is planned at the intersection of Flower Street and Fairmont Avenue, where it will span the Los Angeles River and create a direct connection to Griffith Park. The project represents the second phase of Glendale’s Riverwalk, a one-mile pathway that runs along the north side of the river between Garden Street and Paula Avenue and the Verdugo Wash.

Designed as more than just a plain crossing, the bridge will feature landscaped public spaces on both approaches and along the span itself. Plans call for raised garden beds, shaded seating areas, viewing platforms, gathering spaces, and canopy structures intended to create a park-like experience for pedestrians and cyclists.

The bridge will be supported by two piers within the river channel, with landscape architecture firm Olin overseeing the project’s planting and public-space design. According to Strategic Partnerships, the bridge will be 320 feet long and is currently budgeted at $31 million.

What happens next?

The city can move ahead with final engineering and construction planning. According to the project’s environmental study, construction is expected to take approximately two and a half years. If it all goes according to plan, the bridge should be open by 2031, as the City of Glendale estimates.

The Garden River Bridge follows several recently completed pedestrian crossings along the Los Angeles River, including bridges in Atwater Village, Glassell Park, and near the Glendale-Hyperion Bridge complex.