The deadline passed Saturday for designers to submit their creations into a city-wide contest to draw up plans to replace the crumbling Belmont Bridge called Project Gait-Way.
For Richard Mason, a Belmont resident, it is a necessary project. Mason travels across the crumbling Belmont Bridge to get to and from his neighborhood. "It's incredible that they spent this time and energy and it's an invaluable resource for the community," said Mason.
That is why he came out to the Music Resource Center Saturday to get a look at innovative visions for the Belmont Bridge replacement, designed and created in just 10 days by University of Virginia architecture students.
UVA student designer Erin Root said, "There's a lot of creativity and a lot of decision making that has to happen within those 10 days with 10 people."
Their goal was to create a design that links both creative thinking and practicality. "I think there's a struggle between wanting to do something crazy, out there and sort of innovative but then also something that's very realistic to Charlottesville," said Kate Hayes, another UVA student designer.
But the student designs do more than just invoke thinking, they also are used to point out problems and offer solutions.
Root explained, "One thing we realized in mapping the bike paths is that they begin and terminate very randomly and their not consistent which is why I think people don't ride their bikes as much as we like them to and as much as the city promotes it."
The designs will be entered into a citywide competition called Project Gait-Way. The students' submissions will go on display at City Space along with others from architects from across Virginia and as far away as Scotland. They hope the city will take their ideas into account in the final Belmont Bridge plans.
Judges will vote next Sunday on the design they feel is most practical for the city. The Virginia Department of Transportation and city architects are already developing their plans to replace the bridge.
