A New Landmark

Moody College celebrates pedestrian bridge uniting the communication complex

 

 

Moody College of Communication

 

The Moody College of Communication officially dedicated the Moody Bridge at a ceremony held Thursday, March 31, 2016. The event included speeches by campus leaders, student leadership, the bridge architects, and a performance by the Longhorn Band.

The pedestrian bridge crosses over Dean Keaton Street to connect the second floor of the Belo Center for New Media with the fourth floor of the Jesse H. Jones Communication Center. The 10-feet wide, 300-feet long pedestrian bridge is a style called “Fink truss,” in which connected elements form triangular units.

“Our new bridge will help unite our faculty, staff and students, both literally and figuratively, and will become a major new campus landmark,” said Jay Bernhardt, dean of the Moody College of Communication. “Now that we have successfully built this pedestrian bridge, we must continue building bridges within our college and throughout campus to help our ideas and expertise achieve their maximum reach and impact.” 

Construction was overseen by the UT System Office of Facilities Planning and Construction (OFPC). Support beams for the bridge were installed during the weeks of September 21 and 28, and construction on the bridge was conducted from Dec. 21, 2015 to March 22, 2016.

The bridge was made possible by the Moody Foundation of Galveston as part of their landmark gift in October of 2013. The project also received matching funds from The University of Texas at Austin.

Speakers at the dedication ceremony included:

  • Jay Bernhardt, dean of the Moody College of Communication
  • Ross Moody, president and chief operating officer of National Western Life Insurance Company and trustee of the Moody Foundation
  • Frederick “Fritz” Steiner, dean of the School of Architecture
  • Miguel Rosales, president and principal designer of Rosales+Partners and lead architect of the Moody Bridge
  • Mike Wilson, assistant dean of external relations in Moody College.
  • Maya Garcia, president of Moody College of Communication student communication council

Design and construction of the Moody Bridge was performed by the following teams:

  • Rosales + Partners – Bridge architects and lead designers
  • Lawrence Group – Prime architects for bridge team and architects of the Belo Center for New Media
  • Freese & Nichols – Structural engineering
  • Jose I. Guerra Inc. – Electrical engineering
  • Chan and Partners Team – Civil engineering and site development

 

Nick Hundley
Director of Communication