A southern Illinois group has received a federal grant for the effort to reopen the New Harmony Bridge. WNIN’s John Gibson has details:
The 90-year-old, two-lane steel bridge over the Wabash River has been closed since 2012, when it was determined to be unsafe for vehicular traffic.
Now, Taegan Garner of the Greater Wabash Regional Planning Commission tells WNIN News the group has received a $150,000 grant:
"Basically this is going to go towards those preliminary engineering costs to try to get the site shovel-ready."
Garner says the preliminary plan calls for both automotive and pedestrian traffic on the narrow span:
"One-lane traffic and a pedestrian lane on the bridge, and to eventually get construction money to restore the bridge "
Garner says more steps are needed:
"Trying to apply for more grants, chopping away at the work, trying to keep this project moving along, and do what we can to see that bridge restored."
Garner says the project has the support of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker.
The Indiana and Illinois Bridge Authorities currently own the bridge, which is registered as an historic structure by Federal, Illinois, and Indiana Historic Registries.