The Lake Merritt to Bay Trail (LM2BT) Connection will close a key gap in the regional pedestrian and bicycle transportation network. The proposed LM2BT bridge structure weaves over and under a series of structures and rights-of-way, each of which have specific land-use designations and geometric constraints. These constraints, and the geometric relationships between these constraints, inform the overall design and structure of the bridge. The preferred alignment is a graceful S-curve.

Starting at the Lake Merritt Channel trail near 7th Street, the S-shaped bridge will thread under the I-880 freeway and cross Lake Merritt Channel twice before spanning over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and the Embarcadero roadway. The curves present bridge users with a constantly changing viewing “tour” of the Oakland Estuary skyline, while multiple water crossings give users opportunities to look over the water from varying vantage points. The south approach to the bridge starts at the belvedere of another bridge currently under construction – an innovative solution which eliminates nearly two hundred feet of approach ramping.

The LM2BT project will provide a safe, grade-separated, ADA accessible route that will connect two important trail systems and waterways in Oakland - the Lake Merritt / Channel trails, and the San Francisco Bay Trail system. The project will improve transportation and recreation options for people of all ages and abilities, as well as link neighborhoods and destinations such as transit stations, Jack London Square, Chinatown, Brooklyn Basin, and the Oakland Estuary.