Explore the Park: T. Tyler Potterfield Memorial Bridge

The “T. Pott Bridge” sits atop the remnants of a former hydroelectric dam. This wheelchair, pedestrian and bike-friendly span links Brown’s Island to the north and Manchester to the south, and offers spectacular views of the power of the James River. Named for T. Tyler Potterfield, a senior planner for the City of Richmond and a staunch advocate for linking the city to our green spaces, the bridge opened in 2016.

Access is provided from both sides of the river: Brown’s Island on the north and from Semmes Ave. on the south. To reach the bridge from the south side of the river the approach is behind the SunTrust complex on Semmes Avenue. There is a short bridge above train tracks, with views of the Manchester Climbing Wall, from which you can follow a sidewalk to the bridge. Near the end of the 1,600-foot-long bridge, near Brown’s Island, you’ll reach an installation titled “Three Days in April 1865.” It recounts how the former Capital of the Confederate States of America fell and many of its people fled while fire consumed the city.