DCA
More than 66,000 have streamed across Big River Crossing (BRX) since it opened in late October, officials said Thursday.
BRX is a pedestrian and bicycle path that crosses the Mississippi River. The roughly one-mile span is attached to the Harahan Bridge. Officials say it is the longest public pedestrian bridge across the Mississippi River. BRX opened on Saturday, Oct. 22.
“As the longest public pedestrian bridge across the Mississippi River, Big River Crossing attracts international tourism attention while impacting local affinity for the riverfront,” said Kevin Kane, President of the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau (MCVB).
About 70 percent of BRX visitors have been from Memphis, according to numbers released from DCA, the public relations firm that handles publicity for the BRX project. the other 30 percent of visitors were from West Memphis, Ark. Most of the visitors, about 85 percent, were pedestrians, the rest were cyclists.
More visitors crossed BRX on Thanksgiving weekend than any other weekend since it opened.
“We predict that seasonality will have a large impact on traffic,” said Jim Jackson, incoming executive director of the West Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Holidays have a positive influence on numbers, and we expect events such as the Liberty Bowl to similarly attract a large crowd.”
