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Washington Evening Journal
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Washington, IA 52353
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Slowly but surely, Kentucky Avenue’s bridge arrives at new home
After four years, eight miles and five hours, the bridge now rests on Phil Grandinetti’s property
MT. PLEASANT— Around noon, Friday, Feb. 17, Henry County Sheriff’s Office began to slow traffic heading toward Mt. Pleasant on Highway 218 as a 100-year-old bridge slowly traveled down a small section of the highway.
For the last four years, Phil Grandinetti excitedly planned to take this old country bridge from Kentucky Avenue back to a pond on his property.
“The county asked us about taking it down,” Grandinetti said. “When I went to look at it, I though it should be saved.”
According to Grandinetti, buying the bridge has been a process.
“They put it up for bid and we got the winning bid,” he said.
How much does a 100-year-old bridge cost?
For Grandinetti, his winning bid ran him $8,000, but other costs included removing and hauling the bridge back to his property.
Moving a large Andre Carnegie Steel bridge is not an easy feat.
Grandinetti enlisted some of his employees for the transfer, paid Access Energy to lift electrical and power lines the bridge needed to pass under, and coordinated with Henry County Sheriff’s Office to conduct traffic.
While Grandinetti estimated the total trip only consisted of approximately eight and a half miles, it took the team at least five hours to make it from point A to point B.
Even before the trip began, Grandinetti said his brother had put in over 90 hours of fabrication work into the bridge to sure up the integrity and logistics of moving such a massive object.
Additionally, Grandinetti will put more work into the bridge’s restoration.
“I am going to re-do the railings because I want to put up lattice work,” he said. “These old bridges used to have that.”
Grandinetti has been saving latticework over the last four years as he planned for this process.
He will also replace the missing flooring with wood as he brings this bridge back to life.
Moving the bridge the day after his birthday, excited was evident in the way he gushed about his future plans, gave some history of the bridge, and shared memories with Henry County Sheriff Rich McNamee
“We’ve taken our family photos on that bridge for years,” Sheriff Rich McNamee said.
“I think I owe a lot of people family pictures on that bridge,” Grandinetti said.
Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com
Two Grandinetti’s Metal Recycling employees replace a stop sign after removing it so the Kentucky Avenue Bridge could make the wide turn onto Highway 218. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)
As Grandinetti slowly traveled down Old Highway 218, Access Energy ensured all power and telephone lines were out of the way. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)
Some of the crew readjust part of the towing equipment to prepare for the turn onto Highway 218. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)
Henry County Sheriff’s officers held traffic as the bridge slowly merged onto Highway 218. (AnnaMarie Ward/The Union)
