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7th Street Bridge Centennial Celebration - Nov. 15 and 16, 2013

November 1,2013

Dedication Ceremony Flyer

STREAMS & VALLEYS PROUDLY PRESENTS THE
7TH STREET BRIDGE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
On November 15 and 16, the “Spanning 100 Years: The 7th Street Bridge Celebration, 1913-2013” will:

• Celebrate the completion of the 7th Street Bridge and its 100-year anniversary.
• Highlight Fort Worth's storied past and the one-of-a-kind bridge construction.
• Emphasize the extraordinary collaboration between the city, state and community stakeholders that made it all possible.

“This is a unique project worthy of a unique celebration and the bridge metaphor couldn't be more apt,” said Mayor Betsy Price. “In Fort Worth, we build bridges between the city and government entities, between economic hotbeds in our city and between generations of Fort Worth citizens and leaders. This is our chance to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 7th Street bridge with a once-in-a-lifetime event.”

THE OFFICIAL LIGHTING CEREMONY
Friday, November 15 from 7 to 11 p.m.
On Friday night, the bridge will become “The Seven Nightclub” and feature seven bars serving a variety of heavy hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer. Mayor Price will “flip the switch” and turn on the signature bridge lighting for the very first time and the pedestrian walkways will open. In keeping with the “Spanning 100 Years” theme, guests will enjoy live dance music from the past century, ranging from the roaring twenties to the swinging sixties, speakeasy to sock hop, swing to disco. Guests can dress in costumes from any era or wear their nightclub chic attire and comfortable shoes. The evening finale will be a dazzling fireworks display and champagne toast. Sponsorships are still available – please contact Stacey Pierce at 817.926.0006. A limited number of individual event tickets can be purchased beginning November 1 at www.streamsandvalleys.org.

7TH STREET FESTIVAL, PARADE AND DEDICATION
Saturday, November 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
On Saturday, the community is invited to the 7th Street Festival, Parade and Dedication. Beginning at 10 AM, people of all ages can enjoy family-friendly activities on the north side of the bridge. The parade will start at 10:30 AM, west of the bridge at Staton Street, travel into downtown and conclude on the east of the bridge. It will feature the many modes of transportation that have utilized the bridge from 1913 until today, and may include The Fort Worth Herd, covered wagons, horses, classic cars and jalopies, motorcycles, military personnel and vehicles, 1960s-70s themed vehicles, strolling musicians, marching bands and other musical groups. At the conclusion of the parade, Mayor Price will lead a group of cyclists over the bridge, representing the future, and join other community leaders to participate in the official ribbon cutting and dedication of “The Van Zandt Viaduct.”

ABOUT THE 7TH STREET BRIDGE – INNOVATIVE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
The West 7th Street Bridge originally opened in 1913 and was renamed the Van Zandt Viaduct in 1922 as a tribute to a Fort Worth pioneer, Major Khleber Miller Van Zandt.

Now, 100 years later, the $25 million bridge is the only one of its kind in the world: a pre-cast concrete structure that measures 981 feet long and 81 feet wide. It was the brainchild of TxDOT engineer Dean Van Landuyt. The massive pieces were designed in a 3-D computer model and built on the banks of the Trinity River. The innovative design and construction minimized traffic and lane closures, allowing the bridge to open in 4 short months, instead of a full year.

A major thoroughfare connecting Downtown and the Cultural District, the new bridge features twelve arches with signature lighting, offers scenic views of the Trinity River and intersects with trails on either side. The design uses network arches in a different manner than any other project, includes a nod to Fort Worth history and is also forward-looking. It has four lanes and offers new travel options for pedestrians/bicycles outside the arches. The bridge also has space to accommodate alternative modes of transportation in the future.

“These days, most political stories focus on gridlock and the lack of progress,” said Bill Meadows, former TxDOT commissioner and member of the S&V Advisory Board. “This bridge came about because of the great partnership between the City and TxDOT. We are grateful to our community partners and friends for helping us host an event that will give our community a chance to celebrate a state-of-the-art infrastructure improvement and landmark gateway."

"This project is historic in many ways and serves as a metaphor for the way we do business in Fort Worth," said Randy Gideon, president of the S&V Board. "We hope the celebration will remind all of us – those who have done business here for years and those who are following in their footsteps – of one of the primary reasons for our success."