More funding has been approved for the Blackford Bridge project according to the restoration project’s main supporter and organizer Brent Witherspoon.
“The state has approved a 50-50 grant through the walking trail program,” said Witherspoon. “With this money we can begin work on the walking trail on the Crittenden County side of the bridge.”
The state’s portion of the 50-50 grant is $14,575. Crittenden County will be responsible for supplying their portion of the matching $14,575 for the walking trail’s construction.
“We’ll be able to match most of that grant with work ‘in-kind’ by the county,” Witherspoon said.
Crittenden County resident Paul Heady, owner of the old railroad bed property that leads to the edge of the Blackford Bridge, granted easement to the county to construct the walking trail.
The three-tenths mile railroad bed from Church of God Road on the Crittenden County side connects to the ancient 528-foot railroad bridge that spans the Tradewater River and reaches into Blackford.
“The county will be erecting an access ramp from the road to the railroad bed to make the bridge accessible from Crittenden County,” said Witherspoon.
According to Witherspoon, Heady has also donated the dirt to construct the access ramp. Crittenden County resident Wilbur Shields has donated $5,000 worth of rock for the access ramp.
Once the ramp is constructed, and the railroad bed has been prepared, the surface will be blacktopped to supply emergency vehicle access to the bridge, as well as a hiking and bike trail.
Although the Blackford Bridge restoration project has approximately $500,000 earmarked from various transportation funds to funnel through Webster County Fiscal Court, so far only the engineering phase of the project has been completed.
“The money has definitely been approved by the state as well as on the federal level. We’re just waiting on the money to be released,” said Webster County Judge-Executive Jim Townsend. “Until we get that money we can’t proceed any further.”
“It looks like we might get our part done before the bridge is ready to go,” said Witherspoon. “We’re definitely ready to get it going.”
