Partnerships with private developers could provide the impetus for reconstruction of Boston’s Northern Avenue bridge under the city’s latest strategy.

The city will seek to split the cost of rebuilding the defunct span linking downtown with the Seaport District, restoring vehicular traffic but creating separated bike and pedestrian lanes, the Boston Globe reported. The elevated fixed span would be designed with room for outdoor dining and shops.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh has committed $46 million in capital funding for the project, and private vendors would be asked to foot the rest of the project which could have a total cost approaching $100 million.

The swing bridge spanning Fort Point Channel was closed to vehicles because of structural deficiencies in 1997 and shut down to pedestrians in 2014.

The elevated fixed-span bridge would be less expensive than a swing bridge and provide a buffer against future sea level rises, the Globe reported. A public design process would begin this summer with a goal of completing the new structure in 2022.

The previous administration also looked to the private sector to help revitalize the span. In 1999, the Menino administration solicited proposals from developers for a variety of schemes and selected Forest City Enterprises to rebuild the bridge with a 150,000-square-foot retail complex. The project failed to obtain financing.

A transportation study released in 2015 recommended that the bridge provide access to westbound vehicles to provide another outlet for traffic leaving the Seaport District, as development brings thousands of new workers and residents.