Possibility of bridge replacement stirs nostalgia, vows to fight for it

The last time the historic Egan bridge was inspected, the report came back that the century-old structure was in fair to satisfactory condition.
Improvements have been made and paid for by the city in recent years, but otherwise, there have been no sincere major concerns with the integrity of the beloved old one-lane bridge.
None, other than it is old.
The Second Street Bridge over the Big Sioux River has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2001, it is only lightly traveled at best by any kind of vehicle and heavily used otherwise by locals on foot and others taking a trip down memory lane.
Few neighbors, if any, seem to want or feel the need to have a new bridge.
Especially if one might come at a price tag of close to $6 million.
But that is what is proposed after a grant application for a new bridge, fully funded by the federal government, was approved this past year.
We reported this past week that Egan-area locals, learning only recently of plans to replace the structure, filed into the most recent City Council meeting.
Harvey Donley, an Egan property owner and school alum, was among them.
They told the board, this wont be of any cost to you, but what they didnt tell them is that the city is on the hook to remove the old bridge and dispose of it. Its got 31 tons of asphalt sitting on top of it and 6-8 inches of concrete under it. Thats not going to just be a small $10,000 project. The other thing that they are responsible for is they have to acquire any land thats needed to facilitate the placement of the new bridge, which means theyll need room to work, and there isnt any. The only land they can get is either to destroy the city park or they have to take land from an adjacent landowner, who is against anything to do with this project. Hes planning to fight them tooth and nail, said Donley.
Donley, along with quite a few others weighing in on the matter in the small town of 243, say they plan to fight this all the way as well.
Council Chair Cody Chamblin said as they learn more about the fine details of accepting the grant, hes grateful the Council has at least hit pause on the project.
Hes hoping though that if the Council chooses to not accept the grant for a fully funded replacement structure, that it doesnt come back to haunt the community in the future.