Wis. town offers defunct bridge for $1

SOLDIERS GROVE, Wis. -- The Kickapoo River bridge is a big structure with a small price tag: one buck.

Village officials fear the nearly century-old bridge, which hasn't hosted traffic in 31 years, will collapse into the river and want to get rid of it quickly. Village board member Vicki Campbell said they hope high scrap prices help attract a buyer who may want to sell the bridge's steel parts.

"With the steel prices what they are right now, we thought this was an opportune time to sell it," Campbell said.

They previously tried a similar offer, she said, but the buyer backed out.

The overhead truss bridge was built in 1910 and was a major connection for the community. Over the years, a new route into Soldiers Grove was built, and the bridge became a fishing spot.

In 1976, the state Department of Transportation recommended closing the bridge, saying its age and condition posed a hazard.

Laurel Hestetune, village president, said he still remembers the rattling sound of the boards as travelers passed over the span.

"Once it's gone -- if it goes -- I'm going to miss it," he said.