Pedestrian Bridges Placed Over Glenwood Creeks
Crews utilize a crane to place the pedestrian bridge over Keg Creek. (Courtesy Photos / Randy Romens)
The pedestrian bridge crosses Keg Creek near the Glenwood Athletic Complex.
A railcar donated by Union Pacific Railroad is being converted into a bridge over Fallon’s Creek near the horseshoe pits at Glenwood Lake Park. (Courtesy Photo / Randy Romens)
The Mills County Trails system got a big boost last week with the placement of two pedestrian bridges in Glenwood.
Crews used a crane on Wednesday morning to place a steel walking bridge over Keg Creek that will link a proposed trailhead at the site of the former Glenwood Native American Earth Lodge with the Glenwood Community School District’s Athletic Complex. The structure was purchased by the Mills County Trails Board in 2020 from an Omaha recycling firm. The bridge had previously served as a pedestrian walkway over the Keystone Trail in Omaha near College of St. Mary and the Ak-Sar-Ben Village. Components of the bridge had been sitting near the creek since delivery for over three years.
The second bridge replaces the so-called “scary bridge” over Fallon’s Creek near the horseshoe pits at Glenwood Lake Park. The new bridge is made from a 90-foot, 46,000-pound flatbed railcar donated by Union Pacific Railroad.
Both bridges are still closed to the public until abutment and hand-rail work is completed. The bridges will meet ADA (Americans With Disabilities) requirements.
The bridge projects required studies, input and approval from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency. The projects were delayed in 2023 when bids for placement of the bridges came in higher than expected.
The project was reassessed to lower the cost. Money was saved by having the work completed during the winter months, a slower time of the year for construction crews.
Volunteers have been working for the establishment of a Mills County Trails System for about 13 years. The bridges are a major component for the trails project moving forward in Glenwood.