A new walking and bicycle bridge was installed over Grave Creek in Marion on Tuesday, November 20th, connecting an estimated 3,500 plus Marion campus students, faculty, staff, and visitors to restaurants and retail on state route 95.
The walking bridge connects to the existing 1.1 completed miles of the Marion Campus Trail near the north east corner of Bryson Hall to the Forum Shopping Center, just north of Hong Kong Buffet, Palm Beach Tanning and Buffalo Wild Wings.
Director of Community Relations and Development Dave Claborn shared that the connecting bridge and addition to the Marion Campus Walking and Bike Trail opens the campus to the community and the community to campus.
"If you are part of the residential area from Edgefield Drive east to James Way, you can travel to campus by foot or bicycle without taking a step onto busy State Route 95," said Claborn.
He added that the campus continues to see an increase in community visitors to campus with people walking dogs, playing disc golf on the campus's professional 9 hole course, taking photos, and just enjoying the oasis of green that the campus provides those living, working and traveling through Marion's busiest retail trading zone.
The bridge is part of phase two of the Marion Campus Walking and Bike Trail. The $100,000 plus structure was made possible by the generosity of Ohio Health and the Ray and Charlotte Baldauf Foundation and other community donors. The campus continues fund raising for phase three of the campus walking and bike trail. Phase three will complete a loop around campus that travels south bordering University Drive, eventually east along Marion Edison Road, north along Graves Creek and connecting at the new walking bridge.