Plans continue moving forward for upgrades to the Winamac Town Park’s “swinging bridge.” Town Manager Brad Zellers told the town council last week that only one bid came in for a project to repaint the structure and replace the decking. “The base bid was $50,000 to paint it,” Zellers said. “That’s sandblast, repaint everything with an epoxy paint.”
Zellers said it would be cheaper to stick with wood decking, rather than replace it with composite, due to the strength of the wood. Optional repairs to the concrete approaches would cost around $16,000. Zellers estimated that the total cost would end up somewhere between $100,000 and $125,000.
He offered to get some firmer numbers for the council next month. “We weren’t planning necessarily on this year doing it,” he noted, “but if we can find some money in the budget there to get it done, let’s get it done.”
Meanwhile, fundraising continues for a separate but related project to add a decorative lighting feature to the bridge. Recent donations to the Memorial Swinging Bridge Project include $2,500 from Frain Mortuary; $1,400 from Art, Sis, and Deb Fox; and $1,000 from Kathi Thompson. The effort has also gotten a total of $2,500 from Monterey American Legion Post 399, its Sons of the American Legion squadron, and its women’s auxiliary. Winamac Ace Hardware/Keepsakes contributed $1,475 through a round-up program.
A major fundraiser is taking place this weekend. A river ball race is planned at the bridge Sunday evening at 6:00 EDT, with a top prize of $1,000. In a Facebook post Tuesday, project organizers said there were a limited number of balls remaining. More information can be found at MemorialSwingingBridge.com.
The goal is to have all the upgrades done in time for the bridge’s centennial in 2023.
