UPDATE: Main Street Bridge in Charles City to be Reopened Wednesday (07.10) Afternoon
The Main Street Bridge in Charles City, closed by flooding over two weeks ago, reopened Wednesday (07.10) afternoon.
The bridge was shut down Sunday night, June 23, amid the concerns of City officials that the structural integrity of the bridge may have been compromised after huge trees and other debris in the swollen Cedar River slammed into the almost 115-year-old structure.
Monday (07.08), a crew from Anderson UnderBridge surveyed the structure, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Wednesday, City Engineer-In-Training Brian Sullivan announced that, “We have received clearance to reopen the Main Street Bridge.”
Sullivan adds, “Per the recommendation of the City’s bridge inspection firm we will be placing a 28-ton limit on the bridge. Once the load limit signs are in place, the bridge will be reopened to traffic.”
The street department anticipates the signs to be installed by 3 pm Wednesday.
Until that inspection was complete, the Brantingham/Highway 18 bridge was the only path within City limits for vehicles to cross from the north side of town to the south side and vice versa. The bridge was also shut down by the flood at about 1:30 am on June 24th, dissecting the City in two.
Fortunately, that closure only lasted about 12 hours.
