The Hudson River Way is a pedestrian bridge that links Broadway in downtown Albany, New York with the Corning Preserve on the bank of the Hudson River.
The Hudson River Way was intended to spark downtown and riverfront growth in Albany. The bridge's 8.5 million dollar cost was covered by the municipal government, the New York State Department of Transportation (3.3 million dollars including an Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act grant), and over eleven thousand individuals, businesses, and other organizations who purchased personalized bricks to support the bridge's construction, which started in April 2001. These bricks now pave the structure. The grand opening was on August 10, 2002.
The bridge has thirty concrete nine-foot obelisk-lamposts that feature trompe l'oeil murals by local artist Jan-Marie Spanard. Sponsored by individuals and organizations, each mural depicts a historical period or event in Albany's history, from prehistoric times to the present. The Grand Staircase also depicts the 17th century life of fishermen. Many of the paintings are based on archaeological artifacts recovered from the area. They were not an original feature of the bridge, but were added in 2004.
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