A ribbon cutting took place Thursday at the Great Falls in Paterson for the opening of a new pedestrian bridge spanning the waterfall.

The bridge is now open to the public and provides new views of the Great Falls. It had been closed for three years due to safety concerns and construction of the new span, which cost the city one million dollars.

The bridge is being named for the late Congressman Bill Pascrell, a Paterson resident who pushed for the Great Falls to be designated as a national park.

Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh called the falls the city’s “point of difference” and said he expects the new bridge to draw more visitors. “It’s 100 feet long and provides even greater access. It’s two feet wider so you can have more people on the bridge,” Sayegh said. “The National Park Service estimates 300,000 visited the Great Falls National Park last year… that’s without this bridge.”

The Great Falls stand 77 feet tall and connect with the Passaic River. The bridge links Overlook Park with Mary Ellen Kramer Park.