Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge
The inaugural lighting of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge
Coordinates	32°46′48″N 96°49′20″W / 32.7800°N 96.8221°W / 32.7800; -96.8221
Carries	Spur 366
Crosses	Trinity River
Locale	Dallas, Texas
Characteristics
Design	Cable-stayed bridge
Height	400 feet (120 m) central arch pylon
Longest span	1,197 feet (365 m) (total length 1,870 feet (570 m))
History
Designer	Santiago Calatrava
Opened	March 29, 2012; 13 years ago (March 29, 2012)
Statistics
Toll	None

The Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge is a famous bridge in Dallas, Texas. It crosses over the Trinity River. The bridge is named after Margaret Hunt Hill. She was a wealthy person who also gave a lot of money to good causes.

This bridge is part of a bigger plan called the Trinity River Project. A famous architect named Santiago Calatrava designed it. It was meant to be one of three special bridges over the Trinity River. The second bridge, the Margaret McDermott Bridge, is now finished. The third bridge was never built. The Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge is next to the Ronald Kirk Bridge. That bridge used to be for cars but is now a walking bridge.

Building the Bridge
Awards and Recognition
Community Event
How the Bridge is Built
Gallery
See also

Building the Bridge

The Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge opened in March 2012. It was the first of several bridges designed by Santiago Calatrava for downtown Dallas. The bridge connects Spur 366 (Woodall Rodgers Freeway) in downtown to Singleton Boulevard in West Dallas.

Construction on the bridge started in December 2005. The bridge cost about $117 million to build. A group called The Trinity Trust Foundation helped raise money for this project. They also helped fund other parts of the Trinity River Corridor Project. This included the Margaret McDermott Bridge and the Ronald Kirk Bridge.

On June 26, 2010, the main arch of the bridge was completed. This arch is 40 stories tall. You can see it from many miles away. It adds a unique shape to the Dallas skyline.

Awards and Recognition

The Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge has won several awards. In 2012, it received an award from the Texas section of the American Society of Civil Engineers. This award is called the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award. The bridge also won a 2012 European Convention for Constructional Steelwork Award. This award was for its steel design.

Community Event

On June 1, 2020, a large group of people gathered on the bridge. They were taking part in a peaceful protest. The Dallas Police guided the protest onto the bridge. Then, they blocked both ends of the bridge. After some time, the police used tear gas and pepper balls. They then held the protesters on the bridge for several hours.

A few days later, on June 4, the Dallas Police Chief announced a decision. The protesters would not be charged with any crimes. This decision came after many people spoke out. Community members, leaders, news reporters, and activist groups shared their concerns.

How the Bridge is Built

The Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge. This means it uses strong cables to hold up the main part of the bridge. The bridge is 1,870 feet (570 meters) long. Its main span, the part between the supports, is 1,197 feet (365 meters) long.

The bridge is supported by a tall steel arch. The top of this arch is 400 feet (122 meters) high. Many twisting cables connect the arch to the bridge's platform. There are 58 white cables hanging from the arch. They attach to the center of the bridge platform.

The main support structure is 16 feet (5 meters) wide. It is made of 25 separate parts. These parts are held together with 20,000 pounds (9,072 kg) of bolts. An extra 450 tons (408,233 kg) of concrete also helps to secure it. The bridge has six lanes for cars to drive on.

The design of this bridge is similar to other bridges. Santiago Calatrava designed two bridges in Reggio Emilia, Italy, in 2005-2006. Those bridges cross a major highway. In 2009, the European Convention for Constructional Steelwork gave those two bridges an award. They said the bridges looked like "huge musical instruments" from different angles.