Birmingham revives Rainbow Viaduct debate with $125K study

Four and a half years after closing the historic Rainbow Viaduct in 2022, the Birmingham City Council has allotted funds to determine its future.

At the September 16, 2026 City Council meeting, Birmingham approved a $125,000 contract to Rev Birmingham to organize a public engagement effort and structural assessments of the Rainbow Viaduct, the bridge that connects to Richard Arrington Boulevard (21st Street) and the nearby 22nd Street viaduct.

Rainbow Viaduct has connected Birmingham for

Completed in 1919, the historic Rainbow Viaduct was the first major modern transportation artery connecting the north and south sides of the city, enabling passenger and pedestrian traffic to cross Birmingham’s rail system seamlessly for 103 years.

Marjorie White, the longtime President of the Birmingham Historical Society, told Bham Now that in 1914, then-Mayor George Ward launched a planning effort to create a system of viaducts and underground railroad crossings resolving the problem of railroads coming through the center of the community at the ground level, dividing the booming city.

“It was incredibly important to pass above ground—above the railroads.”

Marjorie White, President of the Birmingham Historical Society

Dedicated months after the end of World War I, the Rainbow Viaduct namesake came from the decorated Birmingham veterans of the 167th Infantry Regiment who fought as part of the “Rainbow Division” during World War I.

Why the Rainbow Viaduct closed in 2022

According to Darrell O’Quinn, the chair of the City Council’s Transportation Committee, the bridge was closed to vehicular traffic in January 2022 because at the time it was considered one of the most unsafe bridges in Alabama hovering over one of the busiest railroads in the country.

Back then, the estimated cost to replace the bridge was $40 million.

“This has been an issue that I’ve been concerned about since the day I got into office. I have made many trips to Washington and on many occasions spoke with our federal elected officials about this situation. We need to address this issue — do this type of community engagement process, do the structural analysis and identify the most feasible and smart path forward.”

Darrell O’Quinn, Birmingham City Council Transportation Committee Chair

The latest initiative will focus on the folowing tasks:

• Determine if the existing structure can be shored up or if it must be completely replaced
• Receive community feedback to decide if the bridge should remain pedestrian-only or return to some level of vehicular use

How do Birmingham residents feel about the bridge? 

How do locals feel about the historic bridge today? We actually dusted off a poll Bham Now conducted on Facebook and Instagram in May 2022. Here were the results:

• 21% were in favor of fixing the bridge in order to reopen for vehicle traffic
• 39% preferred to keep it restricted to pedestrians
• 39% of comments showed neither favor

Has your opinion changed? Tell us on social media your ideas about the future of the historic bridge by tagging us at @bhamnow