Cape pedestrian bridge along Mississippi River lowered into place

After many delays, the riverwalk trail extension is nearing completion.

A 100-foot pedestrian bridge was lowered Wednesday morning over Sloan Creek, extending the north end of the trail to the Red Star Access boat ramp.

“We were really concerned it wouldn’t happen,” said David Whitaker, assistant city engineer for the city of Cape Girardeau.

But despite a considerable morning rain, workers from Nip Kelley Construction Co. and Girardeau Stevedores Inc. lifted the 38,000-pound steel bridge over Sloan Creek by crane and set it into place.

Delays

Workers with Girardeau Stevedores and Contractors and Nip Kelley Equipment install the weathered steel pedestrian bridge over Sloan Creek on Wednesday morning in Cape Girardeau.Laura Simon

The threat of inclement weather Wednesday was nothing new to those involved with the project.

Rain and river levels have impeded work on the north end of the project for over a year. In February 2015, the city announced its plans to start in March and have the bridge placed and open within 90 days, weather permitting.

Weather did not permit.

Heavy rain and unpredictable river levels throughout 2015 delayed the project. Part of the installation, Whitaker said, involved digging a large hole in the ground on the north side of Sloan Creek, right next to the river.

“That hole filled with water a time or two,” Whitaker said.

But workers eventually finished the bridge support for the north side of the creek.

“By that time, we started having trouble with the river stages being high and low, and then we had the big flood,” Whitaker said, referring to the historic flood of December 2015 and January 2016.

Though storms came through early Wednesday morning, workers successfully put the bridge in place.

Completion

Though the bridge is placed, it is not yet accessible to the public.

The lowering of the bridge signifies the imminent end of the planned riverwalk extension, which began in October 2014, when the city council awarded a construction contract to Nip Kelley Equipment Co., which submitted a bid of $802,516.10 for extensions to the north and south ends of the riverwalk.

To the south, the trail was extended as far as the floodwall, Whitaker said. Vince Kelley, owner of Nip Kelley Equipment Co. said that work is completed, with the exception of some chain-link fencing to be installed on the jersey barriers that sit at the end of the trail. Kelley predicts the fencing will go up next week.

To the north, the trail is being extended 300 feet to the Department of Conservation’s Red Star Access boat ramp, by way of the newly installed pedestrian bridge.

Kelley said concrete will be laid on the bridge Friday and allowed to cure over the weekend. This will increase the bridge weight to 96,000 pounds and allow it to support vehicles up to 10,000 pounds, though motor vehicles will not be allowed on the riverwalk trail.

On Monday, bridge approaches will be poured on each side of the bridge, and safety handrails will be installed later that week.

If the weather doesn’t impede work, the trail extension will be 99 percent complete by early May, Kelley said.

Those involved in the riverwalk extension are looking forward to it being finished, and others in the community are as well.

Brian Kelpe, owner of Missouri Running Co., said he’s looking into certifying the riverwalk as an official mile course with USA Track and Field, which he said could bring opportunities for more footraces in the area.

Whitaker said he expects a ceremonial opening to be arranged within the next few weeks and the bridge to be accessible by the end of May, weather permitting.

bbrown@semissourian.com

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