A committee is recommending that the new walkway spanning the Missouri River be named The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge in honor of the former Nebraska Governor and Senator.

The Missouri River Pedestrian Bridge Naming Committee was established by Council Bluffs Mayor Tom Hanafan and Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey. The recommendation from the panel was unanimous but still subject to final approval.

Kerrey secured $18 million in federal funding for the project.

In a memo to Mayor Hanafan and Mayor Fahey, the committee wrote, “Bob Kerrey’s outstanding record as a public servant and as a medal of honor winner were also considered by the committee, and, on their own, these contributions warrant naming this bridge in his honor. Still, it was his remarkable effort to obtain the majority of the necessary funding that made this selection the Committee’s clear, and unanimous, choice.”

The Council Bluffs City Council will vote on the name at their September 8 meeting, followed by the Omaha City Council’s vote at their September 9 meeting.

The bridge is expected to formally open in late September or early October. A bridge lighting ceremony is slated for September 13 at approximately 9 p.m. A fireworks show will follow.