Williams Crossing Named 2026 Bridge of the Year

The Williams Crossing Pedestrian Bridge in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has been named the 2026 Bridge of the Year in the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA) Prize Bridge Awards.

The project was selected by popular vote among World Steel Bridge Symposium participants at NASCC: The Steel Conference after an expert jury narrowed the field to three finalists. Williams Crossing also received a national award in the Special Purpose category.

Williams Crossing spans 1,440 feet across the Arkansas River and is the first multi-span, deck-stiffened plate-arch bridge in the United States, according to the release.

The bridge consists of 12 spans constructed with uncoated weathering steel and connects with Tulsa's Gathering Place Park for pedestrians and cyclists.

Its design uses the steel deck to transfer unbalanced loads and isolate the slender arches from bending forces. The approach was used to create the bridge's structural form while maintaining its structural integrity.

"The choice of steel and application of architecturally exposed structural steel permit an elegant, open cross section and an appealing curvilinear form in both plan and elevation,” said judge Ron Berry, PE, PEng, general director - structures at BNSF Railway Company. “Spandrel arches using steel plate-stiffened decks are the signature feature of the Williams pedestrian crossing. The inaugural use of this concept in the U.S. required collaborative engineering, fabrication, and erection techniques where temperature forces were a primary consideration for the 12 spans. The innovative design is characterized by isolating the arches from bending by carrying unbalanced loads in the steel decks."

The project team included owner Stonebridge Group, LLC, and the George Kaiser Family Foundation; structural engineer Schlaich Bergermann Partner (sbp); general contractor Crossland Construction Company; steel fabricator Hillsdale Fabricators; detailer Esskay Structures; steel erector Kienlen Constructors; and consultant Ruby+Associates.

"Choosing steel allowed us to achieve ultra-slender arch profiles offsite while avoiding complex concrete formwork in the river," said Steve Door, director of business development at Hillsdale Fabricators, which worked on the project. "From developing custom shop fixtures to manage complex 3D geometry to careful planning of construction sequencing and methodology, this project represents a masterpiece of collaborative steel engineering, fabrication, and erection.”

The Prize Bridge Awards recognize the Williams Crossing project as the 2026 Bridge of the Year and a national winner in the Special Purpose category.