It’s difficult to envision a scenario in which Iola rebuilds the North Street bridge, the city’s street and alley superintendent said last week.
Dan Leslie, while visiting with Iola City Council members about his proposed budget for 2013, fielded a question about the North Street span, which was taken down decades ago.
The issue pops up occasionally, Leslie said, from folks who note the demolished bridge’s proximity to the courthouse square.
The bridge, which spanned Coon Creek, is unlikely to be rebuilt anytime soon, primarily because Iola’s other aging bridges deserve a higher priority, Leslie said.
Most pressing is the North Sycamore Street bridge that also crosses Coon Creek. The city hopes to secure Kansas Department of Transportation funding soon to repair the Sycamore Street bridge.
Leslie also fields questions occasionally about the old Washington Avenue bridge crossing Elm Creek, which also has been gone for years.
“Again, you have to look at traffic and the fact there’s a highway less than a half mile away,” Leslie said. “And with the Washington Street bridge, you’re talking big bucks.”
