Photo: Linn County
(Linn County, IA) -- A 146-year-old bridge at the Indian Creek Nature Center in Linn County has been heavily damaged during a relocation project. The Bertram "Blue" bridge was to be moved and used on a trail system at the Nature Center. The Linn County Secondary Road Department, however, does not think the bridge will be salvageable given the latest damage.
“We are disappointed that the Blue Bridge most likely will not be moved and reused at the Nature Center as planned," said Linn County Assistant Engineer Garret Reddish. “Due to the age of the bridge, it was always a possibility that the structure could be damaged during the lifting and moving process, and that’s what happened.”
Crews still plan to remove the existing road, realign the road for the new bridge, install new culverts, and replace the old truss bridge wit ha new IDOT standard concrete beam bridge. Road closures were already in effect and will remain in effect until the completion of the entire Bertram Bridge project in October 2023.
The Bertram “Blue” Bridge was a registered historic structure. Linn County plans to keep the signage portion of the mitigation plan in place and will explore other options to preserve the bridge’s 146-year history.
Photo: Linn County