Footbridge Over Wyman Park’s Stony Run Reopens for Pedestrians

Late August brought a small but noticeable victory for walkers, cyclists, and anyone who’s ever tried to cut across Wyman Park: the footbridge over Stony Run finally opened its gates again. Tucked in the northern slice of the park, the modest wooden‑steel span reconnects a east‑west trail that starts at Craycombe Avenue in Hampden and ends near San Martin Drive, right by the Bloomberg Center for Physics and Astronomy on the Homewood side.

For most students and faculty, that trail is more than a scenic stroll; it’s the quickest, most pleasant way to get from the bustling streets of Hampden to the academic heart of Johns Hopkins. When the bridge was closed in May 2025, the city warned residents to stay clear because engineers had spotted “potential safety concerns.” Councilwoman Odette Ramos, who represents District 14 (the very district that includes both the campus and the neighborhood), posted the alert on Instagram, urging everyone to give the area a wide berth.

“Our engineers are diligently working to resolve the issue with the bridge’s structural integrity. Please stay clear of this area. This is for everyone’s safety,” Ramos wrote, her tone earnest and a bit urgent. The message was clear: the bridge was off‑limits until the problem was fixed.

During the months that followed, commuters scrambled for alternatives. Some trudged the longer, less‑shaded route around the park; others relied on the campus shuttle, which, as many will attest, is often a game of “catch‑the‑bus” rather than a reliable service. A handful of students, including sophomore Fabiana Arcila, tried to keep their routines intact by swapping in spin‑scooters, but even those didn’t fully solve the inconvenience.

“It depended day‑to‑day, I used kind of a mix,” Arcila, a biomedical‑engineering major who lived in Hampden over the summer, told us. “At the beginning, I walked, which was a 30‑minute walk from Hampden to AMR II. Then I started taking the spin scooters. I also tried taking the shuttle … but I missed it all the time.”

When the weather turned wet, Arcila admitted she often avoided the park entirely, citing the mud that turns the otherwise “very scenic route” into a sloppy slog.

The good news finally arrived on August 25, when the conservation group Friends of Stony Run posted an upbeat announcement on their website: the Craycombe Road pedestrian bridge had been deemed safe, and the trail was open again. Their note explained that temporary repairs—essentially “stacked heavy bags filled with structural grout” bolstering the failing support structures—had bought enough time for a permanent solution to be designed.

“We are excited to share that the Craycombe Road Stony Run pedestrian bridge is open again,” the organization wrote, adding a promise to keep the community posted about the next round of improvements.

For Arcila, the reopening meant one less hurdle in her daily commute.

“If I had a bridge, that would have made it easier for me to walk,” she said with a sigh of relief. Now, with the bridge back in place, the 30‑minute trek can shrink to a pleasant 15‑minute stroll, weather permitting.

While the temporary fix is just that—temporary—the city’s Department of Recreation and Parks says a more permanent, sturdier bridge is already in the planning stages. Until then, students, faculty, and neighborhood residents can once again enjoy a quick, shaded crossing over Stony Run, and maybe even pause to watch the water tumble beneath.

In a city where infrastructure projects often stretch for years, a small footbridge’s revival feels almost celebratory. It’s a reminder that even modest upgrades can make a big difference in the rhythm of everyday life across Homewood and Hampden.