Yesterday, Cinco de Mayo, the new Bagley pedestrian bridge over I-75 in Detroit was officially opened. Mexicantown has been divided by I-75 for over 40 years and this biking and walking bridge helps close some of that gap.

And it does it with style as the below photos show.

Here are some details from the Detroit News:

The 407-foot-long bridge is the first cable-stayed pedestrian bridge in Michigan and varies in width from 10 feet on the western approach to 31 feet on the eastern approach.

The bridge also connects to plazas at both ends. It is adorned with 335 lights and surrounded by 900 trees, plants and shrubs.

The Bagley Avenue Pedestrian Bridge?cost $5 million to build and is part of the $230 million Gateway Project, which provides a direct connection from I-75 and I-96 to the Ambassador Bridge.

The Southwest Detroit Business Association (SDBA) is inviting people to a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Cinco de Mayo marks the opening of the Pediestrian Bridge connecting East and West Mexicantown.

Come down to the MDOT Welcome Center on Bagley, May 5, 2010 to mark this historic occasion! Event starts at 1:00 PM, with the official opening ceremony at 2:00 PM.

Come to celebrate the historic opening, Stay for a margarita!

How can you saw no? This much anticipated bridge will be opening in Mexicantown on Cinco de Mayo.

Don’t forget to register for the Tour de Troit ride scheduled for September 19th.

This year promises to be the biggest one yet. Just before noon this morning, there were 900 riders registered. That’s just 200 rider fewer than last year’s event and there are still nearly three weeks to go.

This event raises fund for the Corktown-Mexicantown Greenlink: 16 miles of mostly bike lanes and street improvements. This project is moving forward and will likely break ground next summer. This would double the bike lane mileage within the city of Detroit.

Corktown is already a very bike-embracing neighborhood. The oft filled bike rack in front of Slow’s is a testament to that. These bike lanes are just going to add to that momentum.

The full Tour de Troit press release will additional details is below the fold…

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Kathy Wendler of the Southwest Detroit Business Association addresses the ribbon cutting crowd

Bagley Bridge in Mexicantown

The ribbon cutting for the I-75 Gateway Project was Monday.

Northbound and southbound I-75 are now open. However, the Bagley bike and pedestrian bridge is not.

MDOT announced that the ramps will be completed in a later construction phase. According to the Detroit News, it won’t open until November.

Metro Detroit Trails

The Detroit News recently published an interactive map showing shared-use trails in Metro Detroit. It really shows how these trails are starting to connect into a larger regionwide network — a process largely led by the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance.

Draft Trailway Master Plan

The Spinal Column is reporting the completion of a draft master plan for the Huron Valley Trail extension eastward from Wixom to M-5.

The Commerce, Walled Lake and Wixom Trailway Management Council will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. on July 30 in the Commerce Township Hall to receive public comment on a proposed master plan for the Michigan Airline Railroad corridor.

The trailway council, made up of representatives of three communities that seek to acquire stretches of the railroad running through their jurisdiction, is expected to adopt the master plan at the July 30 meeting.

This plan was paid for by a $5,250 donation from the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance.

Coffee, churros, and a ribbon cutting are planned for next Monday at the Mexicantown Welcome Center at 2835 Bagley in Detroit.

We’re looking forward to riding over the Bagley Street pedestrian bridge, whose progress we’ve monitored over the past year.

This is a great example of a transportation project that improves the livability of a community. This bridge helps mitigate some of the harm done when I-75 was first cut through the Mexicantown community and dividing it in two.