Hunter
10/7/19
Most people christened the Park Road Bridge by driving over it the first time when it opened for business late last summer. Some, however, went a more unconventional route, walking and even skateboarding over the easily-accessible arches.
Iowa City officials installed fences and signage as a temporary fix, but the Daily Iowan reports that the city is set to spend up to $70,000 to install new planters as a long-term solution.
City Public Works Director Ron Knoche tells the paper that they reached out to a consultant to curtail the trespassers, and an infrastructure solutions firm out of Kansas City who designed the bridge said the planters are more aesthetically pleasing than the fencing and signs.
Scott Sovers is Iowa City’s assistant city engineer. He says that the $40.5 million Gateway Project still has some odds and ends that need to be checked off before its completed. The planters will be added to that list, and that work will start in the spring.