Commission Will Hear Fountain Island Bridge Engineering Report

It would be more economical to replace the bowstring truss or Fountain Island Bridge in Lakeside Park than to rehabilitate it. That’s according to the engineering report prepared by MSA Professionals for the Fond du Lac Historical Preservation Commission. According to the report it would cost $242,000 to rehabilitate the bridge compared to $120,000 to replace it. Community Development Director Dyann Benson says the commission has been tussling with the subject for a few months. She says the commission has to look at two things regarding the blue bridge whether it should be historically designated and if a certificate of appropriateness should be issued. She says the commission has to decide whether rehabilitation would change the historic character of the bridge. The report also concludes that the bridge should be replaced or rehabilitated or closed in another year because the 2014 repairs were only temporary. The commission will review the report Wednesday night at 6 p.m. at the City-County Government Center. To read the report click here.