The brick and wrought-iron archways have not only aesthetic value but also symbolic value.

"The purpose of this is to enhance the appearance of the bridge and transform it into a connection between the two campuses, rather than as a barrier," said Kathleen Brady, vice president for facilities management and civic affairs.

One of the archways will be located at Grand Avenue and Papin Street at the south end of the bridge. The second archway will span across Grand near Reinert Hall.

"For a long time we've been struggling with better ways to connect the two campuses," Brady said. "We believe this will help."

Brady said the archways are similar in design to the present archways on the campuses, only larger in scale. She said construction should be completed in February.