Gebäudebrücke
Minneapolis skyway
Datei:Skyway2.jpeg
Skyway interior
(larger version) | (view through window)
In the general sense, a skyway can be considered to be a path between two points that is traversed without touching the ground. There are a few more specific meanings.
In an urban setting, a skyway or skywalk is an enclosed bridge between two buildings. This protects pedestrians from precipitation and heat or cold. These skyways are usually owned by businesses, and are therefore not public spaces (compare with sidewalk). Skyways usually connect on the second or third floor, though they are sometimes much higher, like in the Petronas Towers (though this skyway is often referred to as a sky bridge). Sometimes the systems are administered through a quasi-public organization. The space in the buildings connected by skyways is often devoted to retail, so the system as a whole may operate as a shopping mall.
Some cities have the equivalent of a skyway underground, and many locales have mixed subway/skyway systems; see underground city.
List of cities with notable skyway/skywalk systems
| City | Length | Blocks Connected | link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta, Georgia | |||
| Calgary, Alberta (+15 Walkway) | 16 km | map | |
| Cedar Rapids, Iowa | 15 blocks | ||
| Cincinnati, Ohio (Skywalk) | 1.3 miles | 15 blocks | map |
| Des Moines, Iowa | 3 miles | 27 blocks | map |
| Duluth, Minnesota | miles | ~17 blocks | map |
| Edmonton, Alberta (Pedway) | km | ~13 blocks | map |
| Minneapolis, Minnesota (Skyway) | 5 miles | 52 blocks | map |
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | 16 blocks | map | |
| Saint Paul, Minnesota (Skyway) | 30 blocks | ||
| Sioux City, Iowa | 13 blocks | map | |
| Spokane, Washington | 16 blocks | ||
| Winnipeg, Manitoba | 18 blocks | map |
Other uses of the term skyway
In air travel, a skyway is a "highway in the sky"—the path that airliners take through the atmosphere. Skyway Airlines serves Missouri.
In local transportation, a skyway can be a ski lift or other suspended-carriage system. In Chicagoland the Skyway is a toll expressway, in Jacksonville, Florida, the Skyway Express is a people mover.
The term may also simply refer to a high road bridge; a notable example is the James N. Allan Skyway, which bridges the opening of Hamilton Harbour between Burlington and Hamilton, Ontario.