Photo by Jessica Vaughn

FOLEY - Those walking the Rose Trail in Foley, next to Heritage Park, might have noticed some changes on the bridge. Partial repairs have recently been completed by the City of Foley, with a permanent repair planned sometime in the future.

“Some of the deck boards on the bridge were rotten and the city was faced with either closing the wooden pedestrian bridge due to the safety issue or doing a temporary fix until we could complete a permanent repair,” said City Administrator Mike Thompson.

Although not a budgeted project, upon realizing the state of some of the boards city officials knew they needed to take action. The rotten boards and remaining cleanup are being handled by the Public Works Department. In place of the rotten boards, temporary fixtures have been placed so civilians can use the bridge safely. Due to COVID-19, it is unknown when the final repairs will take place.

“A permanent repair will happen after we get off of “essential only” status,” Thompson said. “That status is likely to be rolled back by the Mayor in steps, and along the same timeline that we anticipate to see the Governor do with regard to her Stay at Home order.”

The Rose Trail and Heritage Park remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic.