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Crow Creek Bridge in Fairfield opens to traffic
Bridge on East Burlington had been closed since April, forcing detour on Glasgow Road
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
FAIRFIELD – Fairfield residents received great news on Thursday, Oct. 3 when the Crow Creek Bridge east of town was opened to traffic.
The bridge on East Burlington Avenue near Parkview Care Center had been closed since April, forcing residents to take a 5-minute detour on Glasgow Road to access Highway 34 East.
Fairfield City Engineer and Public Works Director Melanie Carlson said the city had to replace the bridge because it was 70 years old and showed signs it had reached its useful lifespan. In addition to the new bridge, residents will notice that the driveway to Parkview Care Center has been moved to the east so it’s farther away from the bridge, which the city hopes will reduce accidents.
The portion of the Fairfield Loop Trail that was closed since April has reopened as well. A portion of the trail had to close because it went underneath the bridge. Carlson said residents should notice improvements to the retaining wall that improve drainage and limit the amount of dirt and water that wash onto the trail at that spot.
Carlson said construction went smoothly, and the contractor finished within a few days of the estimated finishing date of Oct. 1. The only major hiccup was when the contractor struck a water main on Labor Day. Fairfield supplies water to the towns of Lockridge and Rome, so those towns were without water for a few hours that day, though Carlson said the main was repaired quickly within two hours.
The cost of replacing the Crow Creek Bridge was about $1.4 million, and of that $1 million came from federal bridge grants, while the other $400,000 came from state Surface Transportation Block Grants (STBG). The remaining project costs such as design and construction testing were born by the city. Carlson also thanked the county for its role in the project, which transferred ownership of the bridge to the city.
“Overall, it was a good project between the city and county,” Carlson said. “It was a big inconvenience, but it was needed for everyone.”
Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com
