City officials prepare for reopening of pedestrian bridge in Columbus
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The pedestrian bridge is set to reopen this weekend in Columbus.
The mayor and other city officials met on the bridge Tuesday to prepare for its’ reopening.
“There has been a long process, we have some things still yet to do. The restrooms have now been prepared,” said Rogena Bonner, the Director of Public Facilities for the City of Columbus.
It’s been four years since the bridge last was opened.
In 2020, a loaded barge broke loose and struck one of the bridge’s piers.
Along with repairing the pier, city leaders also wanted to refresh the overall look of the bridge.
“There has been a lot of mold and mildew. There’s been planters that have been abandoned, if you will, because nobody was out here, so they’re being rejuvenated. The benches that are out here have somewhat rusted. So, this is an opportunity to freshen up the things from before,” said Kevin Stafford, the City Engineer for Columbus.
Columbus Mayor Keith Gaskin is excited about the reopening of the bridge.
“Well, it’s an exciting time because we’re going to be able to use the bridge again, which is the gateway to our amphitheater, which we’re investing into. Hopefully, we’ll have that open very soon, for people from the entire region to enjoy,” said Gaskin.
With it being located over the river, the mayor sees bridge an attraction for events and tourists.
The vision for the bridge is for it to be apart of the city’s entertainment district.
“When you have a river town and you have a unique island like this that has the river walk, the pedestrian bridge and the amphitheater together, you have great potential to grow that entertainment district,” said Gaskin.
The bridge is also available to rent for events.
The ribbon cutting ceremony will be held on the bridge this Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
