http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/jun/09/no-headline---10greenway/
EVANSVILLE — Completion of the Industrial Corridor of Evansville's Pigeon Creek Greenway Passage moved closer to completion Thursday with the installation of a pedestrian bridge in Lamasco Park.
The 220-foot bridge spans a storm water discharge area that feeds into Pigeon Creek. It was scheduled to have been set in February but was delayed flooding from Pigeon Creek.
The concrete decking for the bridge is to be poured next week, and the bridge is expected to be completed by June 17. It will not open to the public, though, until sometime in August.
When completed, it will tie the Greenway's Industrial Corridor to the Riverfront and Middle Levee Corridors.
Glenn Boberg, the Deputy Director of the city's Department of Parks and Recreation, said the bridge was the quickest way to connect the gap between the Riverfront and Middle Levee Corridors.
"It would be an opportunity for another unique feature on the Greenway," Boberg said.
He said other ideas that were considered would have caused problems with the pump station near the park and that the costs were nearly the same.
"Not only is the Greenway a wonderful recreational amenity, it also serves as a vital, viable means of exercise and transportation for our community," said Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel.
Boberg said the bridge is a unique opportunity for people to utilize for recreation, exercise, and even transportation to get to the Downtown area.
"With gas prices getting close to $4 and reaching over $4 in some places, we need to develop some of these alternate transportation routes in this city to allow people to use their bicycles, to run or walk to get to different places," he said. "That's the magic of the Greenway right now."
Roberta Heiman, President of the Evansville-Area Trail Coalition, said the bridge is an important step in connecting the trail.
"I think it's wonderful, this is another really important step forward," she said.
The bridge is part of the Phase Two of the Industrial Corridor which extends from West Franklin Street around Lamasco Park, under West Delaware and Columbia streets and will end at West Maryland Street At that point, it will connect with Phase Three which will run from Maryland Street to Louisiana Street
Phase Two is expected to be completed in August followed by Phase Three in October.
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