Iconic Durham: R Kelly Bryant Bridge
The "Iconic Durham" series highlights infrastructure, public art, and other city features unique to Durham that add character to the city.
"Blue Bridge" is what I affectionately call the bridge over the Durham Freeway at Lakeland St. It's real name is the R Kelly Bryant Jr. Pedestrian Bridge. At night, when I am driving back to Durham and the bright glow of "Durham Blue" comes into view, I am instantly put into a good mood. I get the feeling that I am home. It's one of the great examples of how infrastructure can give a place meaning and feeling.
However, the bridge means even more to other Durhamites.
History
Indy Week published an interesting article about the bridge back in 2010. The story of the bridge goes back to Durham's Hayti neighborhood. Hayti was a pretty incredible, thriving black neighborhood that formed soon after emancipation (if you haven't heard the story of Hayti, you should definitely research it and/or check out this documentary).The Durham Freeway was built directly through the Hayti neighborhood, splitting it up and understandably igniting tensions among Durham communities. In 1973 an ugly pedestrian bridge was built over the Durham Freeway as a token measure to try to keep the peace. The bridge was not only an eyesore, but a place where illicit dealings often took place (the pathway on the bridge was hidden from view). The bridge was shut off from pedestrian traffic in 1995.
In 2003, Durham started a plan to rebuild the bridge and after a few roadblocks, it was finally dedicated and opened in 2010. It was named after R Kelly Bryant Jr. Bryant was a long time resident of Durham and a trusted historian of the Hayti neighborhood.
Originally from Rocky Mount, NC, Bryant came to Durham in 1941 and was inspired by the thriving community in Hayti. He worked for NC Mutual, the largest African American-owned business in the country at the time. After his retirement in 1981, Bryant spent many years telling the stories of Hayti and being a champion for public works in the community. He even helped in the planning of the bridge that's named after him. In 2015, R Kelly Bryant Jr. passed away at the age of 98, but the bridge is still a part of our lives.
Bryant Bridge Today and the Future
Many residents (myself included) experience the iconic bridge by driving below it on the Durham Freeway, but some enjoy the foot bridge connecting the south side neighborhood and Burton Park to the Durham Green Flea Market on the north side.
A new trail, the R. Kelly Bryant Bridge South trail has been proposed and is closer to becoming a reality. The new trail would connect the Rocky Creek Greenway to the bridge. Expected completion isn't until 2022, but it would connect points north, including a resurgent East Durham to NC Central and one of the proposed light rail stations. The city recently received a $1.7 million federal grant for this project.
