City Takes Another Step Toward Rebuilding Swinging Bridge

The City of Neligh took another stop forward tonight toward rebuilding Neligh’s historic swinging bridge. 

City attorney Jim McNally told council members the City received approval from the Nebraska Game & Parks and Corp. of Engineers. The next step, he said, was forming a committee to make a recommendation to the council on the project. 

On a motion by member Stephanie Wanek, the City Council unanimously approved forming a committee for the purpose of exploring the possibility of rebuilding the swinging bridge.

The motion included appointing six members to the committee during the February City Council meeting.

Much discussion took place on the swinging bridge from funding to impeding flow of the river.

“If we have any type of flood, it’ll wash the park road out,” councilman Ted Hughes said. He added later in the discussion, “People were upset over the swinging bridge. If we mess around and lose the park, we’ll really have some upset people.”

The bridge was destroyed in the 2010 flooding of the Elkhorn River.

On funding, McNally said he still believes the community could fund rebuilding the bridge through private donations.

“We can do this by community contributions. It could bring the community together if we do it,” McNally said.

Wanek said she knows of several Neligh-Oakdale graduates with construction backgrounds who have offered to help rebuild the bridge. When discussion turned to funding, McNally said, "We can't start the fund drive unless we decide to do it."

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