When I tell my friends in the midwest about Chattanooga, the Walnut Street Bridge comes up in every conversation. I think of the Walnut Street Bridge as a centerpiece, a gathering place, a tourist attraction, a route, and, most of all, a symbol of Chattanoogan culture.
After all, there aren’t many cities, particularly not the size of Chattanooga, that have invested in this kind of pedestrian bridge. For me, as someone who loves off-road places to ride and walk, it was a deciding factor in determining whether we would move to Chattanooga or not. The Walnut Street Bridge provides a gateway from North Chatt to the Tennessee Riverwalk – the moment my foot or wheel hits the bridge, I feel like I’ve just escaped to a safe haven.
Early on weekday mornings, the Walnut Street Bridge acts as a passage for runners, walkers and cyclists. People move through quickly, working out or commuting to work while enjoying the view. But on weekends, the bridge takes on a completely different character – it becomes a place people come to loiter.
In the summer, groups of people stroll slowly down the bridge, stopping to read the signs and maybe even sitting down to watch the sunset. Buskers show up, singing, playing and hoping for change. Small children dart randomly from one side of the bridge to the other.
This is in sharp contrast to the first time I walked the Walnut Street Bridge. My husband and I had come down to Chattanooga for a weekend to decide if we wanted to move here. The temperature was in the mid-30s, the wind was whipping down the river and we were the only souls in sight on the bridge.
I commented to my husband that I was expecting it to be warmer here. But, coming from Ohio, the chilling wind wasn’t enough to prevent us from appreciating a town that has created a place people want to walk (even if it’s not so appealing on a Saturday morning in January).
The Walnut Street Bridge has been one of my favorite subjects photographically. On a recent evening, I happened to meet the architect for the restoration of the bridge. We were both out hoping to capture the full moon rising behind the bridge. For him, it was like taking a portrait of his child. What an amazing child!