Demolition of a bridge almost 100-years-old is underway in St. Joseph

“We should be done with demolition probably within the next week and a half,” said Brady McKinley, Project Manager. “We removed over half the bridge as of early this morning.”

The City of St. Joseph is replacing the Garfield bridge on Southwest Parkway over Garfield Ave.

It’s part of a CIP project that will cost $2,846,117.98 and is expected to be completed by May of 2016.

“But the contractor hopes that weather providing that they will be done by the end of this calender year,” McKinley said.

The bridge was built in 1927 and has deteriorated over time.

“It’s almost 100 years old and the decay over the years has show,” McKinley said. “We couldn’t even have a fire truck drive across that bridge as it stood before we started this project.  That’s how low the load limits were on this bridge.”

The new bridge will also include a 10-foot hike and bike trail that will connect to the city’s current trail system.

“The hike and bike trail that was existing on the north and south ends of the bridge it narrowed down to like a three and a half foot walkway across the bridge,” McKinley said. “When this new bridge is constructed it will be a 10-foot hike and bike trail and it will match up to what’s existing there and it will be a true connection to the north and south end.”