City of Tuscaloosa hires consultant to evaluate pedestrian bridge

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ( WIAT ) — On Tuesday, the Tuscaloosa City Council unanimously voted to let an engineering firm evaluate the aging pedestrian bridge on Veterans Memorial Parkway.

Previously, city officials voiced their concerns that the 40-year-old bridge should be demolished, to safety and repair costs. Druid Hills resident Amanda Mulkey is pleased the city is making progress towards the possibility of scrapping the idea.

“By investing in this bridge, they are investing in the people that live here,” Mulkey said. “We hope to see the preservation of the bridge and if there are any minor repairs that need to be done to see that done and to see upgrades made to the bridge that will make the area more walkable.”

City Council President Kip Tyner supports residents’ efforts to save the bridge.

“We decided to see what we can do to improve the looks of the bridge,” Tyner said. “We hired our new consultant to do a complete evaluation of it and we feel it is sound and safe. Basically to get an estimate of what it would cost for the first steps to restoring it back to its days of glory.”

Mulkey says this is a step in the right direction.

“It’s great to see we are taking the next step forward to see if there’s anything to be done to bolster the bridge structurally,” Mulkey said. “Or if not then what kind of upgrades can be made to the bridge.”

Tyner is not sure how much it would cost to upgrade the pedestrian bridge, but early estimates from city leaders say it could cost as much as $1 million to make upgrades.

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