Ceremony officially opens new Metropolitan Campus footbridge

October 17, 2019 — In a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 15, Fairleigh Dickinson University President Christopher A. Capuano, along with community members including trustees, officially celebrated the opening of the new pedestrian footbridge connecting the Hackensack and Teaneck sides of the campus across the Hackensack River.

“We so proudly welcome this beautiful new footbridge to campus,” Capuano said, adding that the bridge is “an important literal and symbolic force uniting the campus. It’s a way to get across, certainly, but it’s also a destination to enjoy and a meeting place to gather. There is attractive landscaping. There is shade and cover from the elements. There are comfortable seats and places to just relax and enjoy the day.”

The bridge was extensively renovated over the summer and opened this fall semester. The entire superstructure was replaced along with new decks, railings and lighting. Bench seating with sunshades was provided along with raised planting beds and other landscaping elements.

The bridge is part of a series of improvements that have taken place recently on the Metropolitan Campus, including new pathways, landscaping and prominent new signs. Major new projects are also being planned.

“Our momentum is strong, and we are far from done,” Capuano said. “New changes will soon emerge on the bridge’s horizon. Two weeks ago, we gathered over there on the spot that will soon become the incredible Gregory H. Olsen Campus Center. On top of that, we are planning a new hotel on campus.”

“This bridge will take us to those places,” he added. “And, in a very important sense, this bridge is symbolically leading FDU into the future, a future that will be stronger than ever.”