Politics & Government
Urbandale Trail Bridge Footings To Be Set This Week
Urbandale recreational trail users have been awaiting the replacement of the trail bridge over Walnut Creek at Walker Johnston Park for more than a year. City officials hope to open a new bridge by the end of next month.
Heavy equipment operators were knocking down trees, clearing brush, and grading a new path for the trail last week in preparation for installation of the bridge footings and pillars this week, said Dick Lilly, of the Urbandale Engineering Department.
Heavy rains and a storm in August 2010 caused a tree along the creek to fall onto the wooden bridge, collapsing it. State regulations do not allow the city to rebuild a similar bridge, so the new concrete bridge will cost $250,000.
The delay of more than a year involved the city applying for and receiving Federal Emergency Management Agency funds and getting state environmental regulators to approve the plans for the new bridge.
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The new bridge will be slightly south of the old bridge and the new trail will take users to the shelter house where it will hook up with existing trails.
In the meantime, the city paved road that will link the new trail to the part of the old trail near the skate park.
Find out what's happening in Urbandalefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
You can follow the bridge's progress on Urbandale Patch.
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