A wooden, 300-foot pedestrian bridge located on U.S. Highway 231, north of Fort Toulouse Road, officially reopened to the public on Friday, July 13.
According to Wetumpka City Clerk Tiffany Robinson, the bridge had been closed since early February, after it was severely damaged during a fatal car accident. Public Works Director Tex Grier said about half of the bridge was destroyed during the incident.
Grier said it had been repaired to meet its original specifications, and Robinson said repairs were covered by insurance.
Before the bridge was closed, Robinson said she saw many people walking and fishing on it each day.
“I’ve seen quite a bit of social media buzz on people being excited that they can now walk all the way to Fort Toulouse again and not have to worry about traffic,” Robinson said. “We like to be a walkable community.”
According to Robinson, the bridge is one of several that allow residents to walk across town along the Coosa River. Robinson said the path taken regularly by many people will not only be enhanced by the bridge’s reopening, but also by the addition of a new bridge.
“We’re actually in the process of building another bridge on the other side of Bibb Graves, so you’ll actually be able to walk from Fort Toulouse Road, all the way down past (city hall), cross the bridge and walk all the way to the sports complex,” Robinson said. “You’ll pretty much be able to walk from one side of the city to another.”
Grier and Robinson said the city’s pedestrian bridges have provided an important avenue for physical activity in Wetumpka, and provide easy access to different parts of the city for some.
“I think it’s good for the walkers. The people that are exercising and using the gyms, they are doing a lot of walking from Fort Toulouse into town at present,” Grier said.
“We want all of our parks and everything to be accessible, so it’s avenues like these bridges that make it accessible for people that live in West Wetumpka or any parts of Wetumpka,” Robinson said.
