Willow Creek pedestrian bridge renamed

The pedestrian bridge that crosses Willow Creek near the Natatorium will soon be known as the Harman Bridge.

Facilities Planning and Management staff members wanted to honor their colleague Steve Harman, who died on July 15 of pancreatic cancer, and Chancellor Biddy Martin approved their request to name the bridge in memory of him.

“Steve contributed to almost all construction on campus, whether as a consultant, design engineer or project manager,” associate vice chancellor Alan Fish wrote in a letter to Martin. “The majority of his legacy is unseen or unnoticed. The exception is a bridge over Willow Creek.”

When Harman started his job as a structural engineer in 1993, there was no formal bridge inspection program on campus. He took it upon himself to get training and became certified as a bridge inspector by the U.S. Department of Transportation. He then developed a program for routine inspection and maintenance of all of the university’s bridges.

“For some reason he had a particular passion for bridges,” says deputy administrator Dorothy Steele, “and we thought it would be an appropriate way to recognize his contributions to campus.”

“Even as a child, Steve was fascinated with bridges, and built them out of everything from blocks to toothpicks,” says his wife, Deb. “He was passionate about his engineering profession and the work he did for this great university. He was a very humble man, but I know he would be extremely honored by this tribute. “

Harman received his civil engineering degree from the College of Engineering in 1983.

“The pedestrian bridge is a prime example of his work,” says Fish. “Well-constructed, utilitarian and aesthetically pleasing. It is also a metaphor for his work on campus, as he so capably built lasting connections across all disciplines and with everyone he met. His engineering fingerprints are on every corner of the campus.”

A memorial plaque honoring Harman and his many contributions to the campus will be installed on the bridge in the spring.