Bend soon will bid farewell to Farewell Bend footbridge
The Farewell Bend footbridge is steeped in history, built by lumber mills in the 1940s. But the years and high traffic have taken their toll.
Jim Figurski, project manager of the bridge replacement, said Friday the Deschutes River span is “gradually deteriorating, to the point where now there are some major problems.”
Many people have been using the bridge for years.
“I mean, everyone I grew up with, we would come here on summer days,” said Bend resident Leonard Watkins.
The Bend Park and Recreation District held an open house Friday evening to inform the public and address any concerns.
“They could use a better quality material than wood. Because wood around here tends to deteriorate pretty fast,” said Bend resident Damion Good.
Figurski said the new steel-framed bridge will be lighter and more open visually. It also will be stronger and rest entirely on land, unlike the old one, which it’s expected will be dismantled and removed this month and into May.
Figurski said there will be two closures, for the removal and installation.
“The bridge will be gone” during the period in between, he said. “So if you’re using that as your running route, you’re either going to have to go a little bit longer distance to get down to the Bill Healy Bridge, or you’re going to have to pick a new route for your regular runs.”
People in the area had mixed opinions on the project.
“I am absolutely thrilled about their vision,” said Sandy Sears, who visits the park daily.
On the other hand, Watkins said, “that’s a bummer — I don’t understand why they’d want to do that,” when told about the changes.
The footbridge replacement project is expected to wrap up as late as August.
The Bend Park and Rec Board is scheduled to approve a construction contract for the bridge Tuesday night.
Deschutes Construction Corp. is the lower of two bids at about $660,000.
For project maps, schedules and updates, visit http://bendparksandrec.org/current_projects/park-projects/farewell-bend-bridge/
