2-17-15 historic preservation commission to consider historic designation for fdl lakeside park bridge

The Fond du Lac Historic Preservation Commission will discuss potential historic designation for the Fountain Island Bridge at their meeting this week.    The Fond du Lac Public Works Director says replacing the bridge would cost approximately $40,000 less than rehabilitating it.    Community Development director Dyann Benson says maintaining an historic bridge presents a challenge.  “When you are looking at infrastructure like a bridge that is open to the elements…the cost of maintaining that infrastructure can be quite expensive,”  Benson told WFDL news.  Julie Bowers is with the Iowa-based Workin Bridges, a non-profit company that specializes in saving historic bridges.  Bowers says integrity of the bridge was actually compromised years ago when the original wood deck was replaced with concrete.  “I understand that when you only talk dollars that this comes in high and why would you go with the high bid?  But you have to bring in other considerations,”  Bowers told WFDL news.  “This is part of your history and when its gone its gone.”   The bridge is an example of a metal bowstring truss bridge that was build around 1870.  The bridge was originally used to cross the Fond du lac River at Scott Street and was relocated to the park in 1920.  The bridge is one of seven remaining bowstring trusses in Wisconsin.  Benson says it the bridge is designated as historic the Public Works Department would then work with the Historic Preservation Commission to rehabilitate the bridge.