After a year of engineering assessments and community input, Greenville City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a $3.2 million restoration of the Liberty Bridge — the curved pedestrian span that has defined the Falls Park on the Reedy skyline since its installation in 2004.
Work is expected to begin in late June and run through the fall, with the bridge remaining open to pedestrians during most of the project. A two-to-three week full closure is anticipated when crews address the suspension cables and deck coating.
“This bridge is one of the most photographed structures in South Carolina,” said Parks Director Allison Crewe. “We want it to last another 50 years. This investment protects that.”
What’s Being Replaced
The restoration scope covers recoating the structural steel, replacing the polycarbonate panels along the railing system, and upgrading the LED lighting array that illuminates the bridge at night. Engineers flagged minor corrosion at two anchor points that will be addressed as a priority before general cosmetic work begins.
The deck surface — a Brazilian hardwood that has held up well — will be spot-repaired rather than fully replaced, a decision that reduced the project cost by an estimated $400,000 from earlier estimates.
“The bones of this bridge are excellent. We’re preserving something that was designed to endure, and the community has clearly embraced it.” — Allison Crewe, Greenville Parks Director
Falls Park Context
Liberty Bridge sits at the heart of Falls Park on the Reedy, a 32-acre urban park that draws an estimated 1.3 million visitors annually — one of the most-visited city parks in the Southeast. The park was developed after the city removed a surface road that had covered the Reedy River falls for decades, a transformation widely credited with sparking downtown Greenville’s broader revitalization.
The bridge, designed by Miguel Rosales, curves 355 feet across the gorge and is one of the few pedestrian suspension bridges of its type in the United States.
Funding and Timeline
The project is funded through a combination of city capital improvement funds and a state infrastructure grant awarded last year. Construction is expected to be complete by mid-October, ahead of the fall foliage season that draws heavy visitor traffic to the park.
The city’s parks department will post regular updates and closure schedules at the Falls Park visitor kiosk and on the city website. Nearby Main Street access to the park via the River Street entrance will remain fully open throughout construction.
What’s Next
Council also directed staff to develop a long-term maintenance plan for the bridge and other Falls Park infrastructure, to be presented at the June work session. The goal is a rolling five-year maintenance schedule that prevents deferred work from accumulating.