UT Alum Key in Celebration of New Dallas Bridge

By Jordan Schraeder in Features, Special on March 1, 2012 at 5:06 pm | 3 Comments

From the neon green-lined Bank of America Plaza to the twinkling white lights of the spherical Reunion Tower, it’s hard not to recognize the Dallas skyline. And now, thanks to the Trinity Trust Foundation, the city has a new architectural icon: the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge.

Located in West Dallas, the 400-foot white arch of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge—the first of its kind to cross the Trinity River—was designed and engineered by world-renowned Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. This is his first vehicular bridge to be located in the United States.

The six-lane passageway, which will see an estimated 42,000 vehicles per day, draws attention to a lesser-known area of the DFW metroplex—and for that, the citizens of West Dallas are ready to celebrate.

Enter William Wyatt, BBA ’03, ME ’05, co-chair of Bridge-o-Rama, this weekend’s upcoming celebration of the opening of the bridge.

“West Dallas has always been special to me; my mother and father were born there,” Wyatt says. “It’s never been an affluent area, but it definitely has a story to tell.”

The commercial real estate agent has dedicated his time, strictly on a volunteer basis, to developing signature events that honor West Dallas heritage for the festival.

Among this weekend’s events is a World Music Stage, featuring sounds from Irish, Afroelectronica, and Latin genres, and the Parade of Giants, which features 15-foot-tall puppets of Dallas icons, including the infamous Bonnie and Clyde.

A former UT basketball player, Wyatt spent 10 years in Austin before heeding the call of his hometown.

“I came back home to help the community,” he says. “It’s always what I was going to do.”

Wyatt became involved with organizing Bridge-o-Rama when the other co-chair, who happens to be a graduate of OU, recruited him.

“He was smart,” Wyatt laughs. “He knew he had to put a Longhorn on the board.”

Bridge-o-Rama kicks off tomorrow with March West, where attendees who purchase a $5 wristband will receive discounts from businesses in West Dallas, the Design District, and Pinnacle Park. See the full weekend lineup here.

Top photo by Marco Becerra. Bottom photo by Dana Driensky.

Tags: dallas, Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, Santiago Calatrava, Trinity Trust Foundation, West Dallas