i-80 pedestrian/bicycle overcrossing
berkeley, california
MacDonald Architects, in association with OPAC Engineers, designed the overcrossing on Highway I-80 in Berkeley, California, which is the main artery for the East Bay. The span was oriented at a skewed angle to the freeway to focus on the distant Golden Gate Bridge. The form of the arch reflects the form of shapes found in the neighboring island and surrounding hill. The bridge creates a gateway to the city of Berkeley, celebrating the pedestrian crossing to the adjacent parkland. MacDonald Architects paid close attention to the proportion of the bridge and the piers, creating a series of vertical reveals to mirror and capture the rhythm of the depth of the deck.
MacDonald Architects worked with landscape architects to integrate the parkland with the structure, the gateway monuments, and the lighting so that the bridge is not only a gateway to the City of Berkeley, but also a unifying element for the two parts of the parkland (located on either side of the highway).