Tama bridge's future remains unclear
Council hears opinions about Lincoln Highway landmark
TAMA — A side rail of the Lincoln Highway bridge is faithfully replicated in wood atop a trophy case in the hallway of the Tama Civic Center.
Monday in that building, following an hour of public comments, the Tama City Council voted to seek $1 million in federal funding to modify the bridge. How much of the original structure can be retained, and even its status as a vehicle or pedestrian bridge, remains unknown. Completion could take up to two years.
Other bridge-related actions taken at the meeting were to prepare for closing the present contract with Boulder Construction, including the issue of detour signs, and to continue the current contract with Snyder & Associates to determine the next steps.
Use of federal money requires satisfying Section 4(f) of the U.S. Department of Transportation Act of 1966, proving “that there are no feasible and prudent alternatives to the use of certain historic bridge structures to be replaced or rehabilitated with federal funds and that the projects include all possible planning to minimize harm resulting from such use.”
The Lincoln Highway, the nation’s first transcontinental highway, runs from New York City to San Francisco. The Tama bridge, built in 1915, is the only one of its kind in the country. A rehabilitation project, nearly a decade in the making, stalled soon after work began this spring as the condition of the concrete deck was found to be worse than expected.
Those in attendance wanted the bridge on Fifth Street to be saved, but the differing goals of historic preservationists and present-day businesses were on full display in the public comment session.
Shellie Orngard, project manager with Prairie Rivers of Iowa, explained that $92,000 from various sources had been raised in the 2010s for the “express purpose of rehabilitating the bridge and repairing it,” and “not for creating a truck route or replacement bridge.” If not used for rehabilitation, the money should be returned to the donors, she said.
Orngard suggested a “bold proposal” of creating a new truck route, with a new bridge in a new location, and using the previously dedicated money to restore the old bridge for pedestrians and bicyclists. Other commenters favored that idea. David Kingsley, a grandson of the bridge builder, came to the meeting from his vacation in Minnesota. He said he had met many people who had seen the bridge, and hoped the community “will treasure your treasure.”
Joan Hayward Helm, president of the Tama County Historical Society, said many people had stopped at the Tama County Museum while visiting the bridge. “I think there’s a lot of people here who are willing to live with some discomfort for a while knowing that the end result is something all of us can be proud of.”
Iowa Lincoln Highway Association President Mary Helen Preston also spoke. She is the granddaughter of George Preston, whose gas station in Belle Plaine is also a Lincoln Highway landmark. The bridge is one of the most photographed places on the Lincoln Highway, she said. “It’s something we need to save.”
Randy Zimmerman of Z-Line Trucking on the east side of Tama said he “almost agreed” with a proposal for a second bridge, but said a truck route is needed sooner rather than later. There is no good way to get from that part of town to the other while the bridge is closed, he said, and “something needs to be done.” Zimmerman pointed out that a 24-month period until a connection was restored would span three harvest seasons.
Farmer Ken Bidwell urged an “immediate bypass” of the area. Jason Lekin of Tama Livestock Auction told the council, “I know it’s not your fault the bridge is bad,” but the city needs to move forward in a timely fashion. Nearly half of the auction company’s business comes from south of Tama, he said, and the closed bridge is an obstacle to livestock owners who are trying to get there.
Lonnie Upah couldn’t understand why people were still talking about what to do with the bridge after Tama spent millions of dollars to repair and upgrade Fifth Street. He said he didn’t know the right answer to satisfy everyone, “but we have to have that road.” “I don’t know how we can’t crane” the bridge out, he said.
That method could result in severe damage if not instant disintegration.
The option of replacing the deck alone depends on the condition of concrete in the abutments. Tama resident Charlie Betz asked Kelli Scott of Snyder & Associates if that remained an option. Scott said it’s possible the abutments could be reused, but the concern is getting in there and finding more bad concrete.
Replacing the deck would take 12 to 18 months to complete, and even then, it would be a 20-year fix at most. A full modification/rebuild of the bridge would take up to two years. If the rails become part of the new bridge — and there’s no guarantee the entirety of both rails would be usable — a modern guardrail would be needed in front of them.
Building a new road to connect Fifth Street to Business U.S. 30, bypassing the bridge, would require acquisition and demolition of a mobile home park — or a completely different route — before construction could begin. The bridge deck would still need rebuilding before pedestrians could use it.
The bridge appears prominently in marketing for the Tama-Toledo area, including in large welcome signs along U.S. 30, a mural at the Toledo Hardee’s and the logo as an overnight stop for RAGBRAI L in July.
At the end of the meeting, the council appointed Kristy Eisentrager to fill a vacancy. Eisentrager, who will be sworn in Sept. 5, takes the spot left by Brian Hanus when he became mayor after the previous mayor’s resignation. Eisentrager’s seat will be up for election in November for a two-year term.
Eisentrager and the rest of the council have their work cut out for them. Allan Richards, the Tama County consul (a sort of ambassador) for the Iowa Lincoln Highway Association, said during the comment session that if the council decided to move the bridge, “we [should] just as well put up a tombstone and each of you can put your names on that tombstone as making it happen.”
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