I think it turned out beautiful: Community celebrates footbridge opening

Published 12:00 am Sunday, December 23, 2007

By Sarah Light, staff writer

City officials and community members gathered Friday afternoon to celebrate the completion of one of Albert Lea&8217;s newest legacy projects.

Bundled up in their coats, gloves and scarves, the people met to witness the ribbon cutting of the new Katherine Island footbridge.

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&8220;I think it turned out beautiful,&8221; said Mayor Randy Erdman before the ribbon was cut. &8220;I think it turned out better than anyone expected.&8221;

During the project, the old wooden bridge &8212; which had been in place since the late 1940s or early 1950s &8212; had been removed and replaced with a single-span weathered steel bridge that is 92 feet long and 6 feet wide.

The existing concrete around the island was also removed, and the shoreline was reconstructed through the use of gabion baskets.

Gabion baskets are made of steel wire mesh that are laced together and filled with stones. Over time, these structures become stronger as silt and soil collect in the voids and vegetation is established.

Erdman said the project showed the collaboration of several local and regional organizations and businesses including Pro Manufacturing of Albert Lea, who constructed the bridge, and Sunram Construction of Corcoran, who were the general contractors.

The bridge was set in place Dec. 13 by both of these companies.

After the ribbon was cut, those in attendance walked across the new structure for hot chocolate and cookies on the island.

Many positive comments could be heard about the project as the people walked over to the other side.

&8220;I think it&8217;s just a huge excitement for our community to have this,&8221; said Susie Petersen, executive director of the Albert Lea Convention and Visitors Bureau. &8220;I think it looks beautiful.&8221;

Petersen said quite often tourist groups come into Albert Lea to see what the community has to offer. And one stop the group always makes is to come by and see the well-known island and bridge that are featured in numerous postcards.

Now that the project is completed, this will continue to be a popular stop for tourists.

City Engineer Steven Jahnke said he, too, was pleased with the outcome of the project. He also commented on how well everyone worked together to complete it.

&8220;It turned out really nice,&8221; Jahnke said.

The reconstruction of the island and bridge is a capital improvement project the city decided to take on this year because during the last few years, the piers in the middle of the bridge have been shifting, causing the entire bridge to shift.

Now that the work is completed, the shifting should no longer be a concern.

The total cost of the project was about $240,000.