Students returning to West Virginia University for the start of fall semester classes today (Aug. 20) now have an easier and safer way to get across University Avenue on the Downtown Campus.

WVU administrators and members of the Student Government Association officially opened a new pedestrian bridge over the busy roadway during a morning ceremony.

The span permits safe passage for students and employees crossing between the newly renovated Oglebay Hall and the College of Business and Economics building. It is expected to accommodate upwards of 1,000 students per hour when classes are in session, and University officials say it will minimize the disruption to automobile traffic.

The bridge provides solutions for two issues,said Joe Fisher, associate vice president for WVU Facilities and Services.It will permit the students attending classes in those buildings to cross safely above the traffic on University Avenue and reduce the traffic congestion by reducing the number of students crossing the roadway every hour.

Fisher added that need for the bridge came as a result of $23 million in renovations to Oglebay Hall. The building will now provide several, general-purpose classrooms resulting in expanded classroom seating capacity for hundreds of students in a variety of programs. A rededication of Oglebay is being planned for later this month.

The bridge was primarily constructed to accommodate the increased number of students who will be attending classes in Oglebay Hall and the traffic to the Stalnaker and Dadisman residence halls,Fisher said.

Planning for the bridge started in December of 2006 and involved University officials and the architectural design firm of Perfido Weiskopf Wagstaff + Goettel in Pittsburgh. Work on the bridge began in late March and was completed by March Westin in Morgantown.

The cost for the bridgeincluding design fees, construction and redevelopment of the plaza on the Oglebay sideis estimated at $1.6 million.

The bridge consists of a 70-foot-long, 10-foot-wide concrete walkway approximately 17 feet above the roadway. It features an etched glass tower on the College of Business and Economics side and an elevator for improved handicap accessibility.West Virginia Universityis spelled out on the exterior sides of the bridge.