Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Sunday, November 25, 2007
Soldiers Grove wants to sell Kickapoo River bridge for $1
SOLDIERS GROVE, Wis. — An almost century-old bridge that long ago became no more than a fishing spot in this northern Crawford County community soon could come down.
Soldiers Grove officials have put the Kickapoo River bridge up for sale for $1, with the hope someone will remove it for scrap before it collapses into the river.
“It’s not safe right now,” Village Clerk Tammy Kepler said of the A Street bridge. “It’s very, very old.”
Built in 1910, the overhead truss bridge for years was a major connection into the community.
They’ve since built a new route into Soldiers Grove, and the village plans to vacate A Street.
The bridge no longer connects to anything and has been closed to vehicle traffic for some time, said Laurel Hestetune, village president.
“It’s just going to be another side of history that’s down the tube,” he said.
While the bridge fell out of use decades ago, Hestetune said he still remembers the rattling sound of the wooden boards as travelers passed over the span.
“Once it’s gone — if it goes — I’m going to miss it,” he said.
The state Department of Transportation in 1976 recommended closing the bridge to traffic, saying its age and poor condition posed a hazard. A 2002 inspection found it to be structurally deficient.
Village board members voted Nov. 8 to sell the bridge for $1.
“We really just want to get rid of it,” village board member Vicki Campbell said, “and you have to sell it for something.”
Board members hope buyers will be attracted by the scrap steel in the structure.
“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 added, but the buyer backed away.
Richard Schoville, who owns a farm across A Street, said Soldiers Grove had
an opportunity in the late 1980s to replace the 100-foot bridge.
The village’s share at the time would have been about $15,000, but that would have been assessed back to landowners on each side of the bridge, he said.
Samantha Marcus can be reached at (608) 791-8220 or smarcus@lacrossetribune.com.
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