Bridge Downtown Grand Rapids to Close Weekend Nights due to Partying

You're gonna have to take the party elsewhere.

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The City of Grand Rapids announced that starting Friday June 9, the pedestrian-only Blue Bridge in downtown Grand Rapids will close from midnight to 6 a.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights until further notice.

It was a joint decision by GRPD, Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc. (DGRI) and the City of Grand Rapids.

Chief Eric Winstrom said,

We want to set the expectation early on this summer that the Blue Bridge is not a place for large crowds to gather in the overnight hours. This is a proactive step we are taking as GRPD, DGRI, the City and other stakeholders work together to provide a safe and welcoming environment for residents and visitors.

So what to do if you need to get across the Grand River in the late night hours?

Pedestrian access across the river will remain available on Pearl Street NW and Fulton Street W. Late-night DASH service will continue to provide public transit access near the west end of the bridge.

GRPD continue to investigate the incident in which a vehicle was struck by gunfire near the Blue Bridge early Sunday.

Police say are reviewing video footage but are not ready to charge anyone yet.

Winstrom said,

...While we are not ready to seek charges for the person who fired the shots that hit the vehicle, six arrests have been made in conjunction with large gatherings on the bridge over the weekend. We are focused on taking both enforcement action and preventative action to keep our community safe.

Last summer four people were injured in an overnight shooting on the Blue Bridge.