Perils for Pedestrians

TV talk about people who walk

Gallery of Interstate Highway Right-of-Way Trails

Many Interstate Highways have pedestrian and bicycle trails sharing their Rights of Way. The most crucial places for access are bridges. Sometimes Interstate Highways have the only bridges over a river. Even when there are other bridges, they might involve a half-hour or longer detour for a pedestrian to use them. Here are some examples of Interstate Highway bridges with pedestrian access.

For more information on pedestrian use of utility ROWs, see the Right of Way page.

Interstate 5, Columbia River

A narrow sidewalk forms a vital connection between Portland, OR, and Vancouver, WA.

Interstate 55, Mississippi River

A sidewalk connects Memphis, TN, with West Memphis, AR. A new path on the nearby Union Pacific Railroad Bridge (the Big River Crossing) is a much more attractive crossing. However, when the Big River Crossing is closed late at night, the Interstate 5 bridge is the only option for pedestrians.

Interstate 90, Lake Washington

A good ped-bike path on a floating bridge connects Seattle, WA, with its eastern suburbs. Both the highway and the path go through tunnels on the Seattle end to get past a steep hill.

Interstate 95, Potomac River

A good ped-bike path connects Oxon Hill, MD, with Alexandria, VA, just south of Washington, DC. Although peak use is during rush hour on weekdays and midday on weekends, the path still sees significant use after midnight when the transit system shuts down and it becomes the only option for people across the river to get home without a car.

Interstate 395, Potomac River

A path on the bridge connects Washington, DC, to Arlington, VA, near the Pentagon. A good bike trail system in Virginia feeds into the bridge.