October 3, the day the Walnut Street Bridge reopened, was the last day for Julie Darling Donuts at 121 Frazier Avenue under the owner who had run it for 16 years. Owner Jess Kuenzlis told Chattanoogan.com she "can't think of a better way to go out than with a city-wide party to celebrate." Less than two weeks later the shop announced it would reopen under new owners, with the same recipes and a planned refresh. No reopening date has been set.
The bridge is open again, and the North Shore end of it is busy. The downtown end is about to fence off Ross's Landing for roughly a year and a half. For most of 2027, a walk along the river in Chattanooga will mostly happen on the north bank.
What Changed Underfoot on the Bridge
The bridge closed in March 2025, and city crews led by Southern Road and Bridge worked on it for 18 months. The Times Free Press reported that the crews replaced nearly two acres of wood decking with yellow Alaskan cedar, a wood that resists rot naturally. They also repaired or replaced steel using more than 200,000 pounds of it and swapped out about 3.5 miles of coated steel cable.
You'll notice some of the work at night. The new lights can change color, but they're meant to shine white most evenings. The bridge now has 15 security cameras and 12 sun-shaped medallions modeled on historic designs. The City of Chattanooga lists improved deck drainage, repaired handrails, better disability access and more electrical capacity for events. The city's May 2026 release put the total at $47 million. The Times Free Press used $52 million in its reopening coverage.
The city estimates that more than 20,000 people walked across the new cedar planks on reopening day alone.
Frazier Avenue Felt It First
Those 20,000 people had to step off somewhere, and the north end lands them on Frazier Avenue. In-Town Gallery, the artist co-op on Frazier, estimates that about 80% of its business comes from foot traffic. Gallery manager Gail Rich told the Times Free Press that business was "sleepier" while the bridge was closed. Walkers could still use the Market Street Bridge, but she said it didn't create the same excitement. Since the reopening, she said, business has been booming.
Geno Wallace owns Geno's Salon and is president of the North Shore Merchants Collective. He told the same paper, "It's almost like a weight has been lifted." In the same report, Lynda Curtis of The Ice Cream Show said the first days felt like a holiday. Bill Reed of Pedestrian Wine and Cheese called the reopening a new start for Frazier Avenue businesses. NewsChannel 9 talked with an employee at Locals Only, who said foot traffic had been noticeably strong since the bridge reopened.
The North End Keeps Getting Longer
The reopened bridge also leads to places that weren't there when it closed.
At 129 North Market Street, Zeekz House of Gyros opened October 3, the same day as the bridge, in the space Build-A-Salad left. A short walk up Cherokee Boulevard, Southern Steer Butcher opened September 26 at 20 Cherokee Blvd., Suite 124. Farther west, NOOGAtoday lists two openings for this fall at the Signal Mill building, 205 Manufacturers Road: Hattie B's and Nick The Greek. Neither has an announced opening day yet.
Manufacturers Road is also where the walk now keeps going. The Moccasin Bend Connector opened September 26. It's a paved path of nearly 1.5 miles along Manufacturers and Hamm roads that links North Shore routes to the National Park Service trails in the Moccasin Bend National Archaeological District. So a walk that starts on the cedar deck can now end at Moccasin Bend without anyone needing to drive.
What Stays Open on the Downtown Bank
The south end of the bridge is where the walk is about to shrink. The newest addition there is meant to make it through the construction.
Crews installed a 5,600-square-foot public dock next to the pier at Ross's Landing. According to the Times Free Press, it cost about $600,000, paid for by a Lyndhurst Foundation grant and River City Co.'s capital campaign. It adds public seating on the water. Kayaks and paddleboards can use it, while motorized boats stay at the commercial dock on the other side of the pier. It's open during park hours, and River City plans to add more seating and a shade awning.
River City spokesperson Dawn Hjelseth told the paper the idea "really came from the community," because the old dock "was just for boats." She said River City plans to keep the dock open during construction, except while work is happening on the pier. If that happens, the dock may be moved somewhere else for public use.
The Walk, End to End, This Season
| Stop | Bank | Status as of late October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Moccasin Bend Connector | North | Open since Sept. 26, nearly 1.5 miles to the NPS trails |
| Signal Mill, 205 Manufacturers Rd. | North | Hattie B's and Nick The Greek listed for fall |
| Southern Steer Butcher, 20 Cherokee Blvd. | North | Open since Sept. 26 |
| Zeekz House of Gyros, 129 N. Market St. | North | Open since Oct. 3 |
| Frazier Avenue shops | North | Merchants report foot traffic is back |
| Walnut Street Bridge | Both | Reopened Oct. 3 |
| Ross's Landing public dock | South | Open during park hours; may be moved during pier work |
| Ross's Landing park | South | Closes for about 18 months in November |
After the Hooch, the Fence Goes Up
The Head of the Hooch rowing regatta is set for November 7 and 8 at Ross's Landing Park. The Times Free Press reports that Ross's Landing will close for 18 months of construction starting in November, after this year's regatta, and stay closed all of 2027. River City Co. says it has passed $25 million raised for the project. The plans include a flexible sport court, shade trees, a new playground and restaurant spaces.
The park won't close in sections. River City CEO Emily Mack told Chattanoogan.com that it can't stay open during construction. Replacing utilities, grading and building all require heavy machinery, so the plan is to do the work at once rather than in phases.
This is where the shift to the north bank becomes official. The Hooch is staying in Chattanooga, and in 2027 it will move across the river and use the North Shore. Friends of the Hooch President Kerry Brown told the Times Free Press there are plans to add a new ramp down to the water there. Organizers are still working out how many trailers the site can hold. Other riverfront events will be held elsewhere in the city while Ross's Landing is closed.
People who use the Riverwalk on the downtown side will be rerouted. NewsChannel 9 reports that River City Co. intends to detour Riverwalk users in a way that keeps foot traffic reaching nearby businesses. Those businesses are getting $1,000 construction-mitigation grants, and River City is considering smaller events during the work. The detour route hasn't been published.
Dates for the Calendar
- November 7 and 8: Head of the Hooch at Ross's Landing, the last event on the regatta's calendar there before construction.
- November, after the regatta: Ross's Landing closes for about 18 months.
- Through 2027: The park stays closed, and the Hooch moves to the North Shore.
- Whenever announced: Opening days for Hattie B's and Nick The Greek at Signal Mill, a reopening date for Julie Darling Donuts under its new owners, and the published Riverwalk detour.
For now, a fall walk across the river takes you over two acres of new Alaskan cedar and onto Frazier Avenue. From there you can keep going west along Manufacturers Road to Moccasin Bend. Back on the downtown bank, the new dock at Ross's Landing is the place to sit on the water before the fence goes up after the Hooch.
If the bridge's return has you thinking about how close you'd like to live to Chattanooga's river walk, I'd be glad to talk it through over coffee on the North Shore. Natalie Gascay knows this river from downtown to Chickamauga Lake. Let's Connect.
