Return of the pedestrian bridge

WAUPACA – Construction for a veteran’s memorial park and new pedestrian bridge in downtown Waupaca is being planned thanks to a grant the city received from the Department of Transportation (DOT).
The project is set to begin in 2028 and will start with the removal of the current pedestrian bridge, which was closed around 2011 because it was deemed too dangerous during one of its annual inspections.
The new bridge will be 200 feet long and will start on the property between the Waupaca Thrift Store and Bank First. The property is currently owned by Bank First and the city will acquire it, said Justin Berrens, the Public Works Director.
The bridge will then cross the Waupaca River and connect to Schwenn-Lions Park, also known as Hidden Park.
Access on the Hidden Park side of the bridge will be a spiral that will have a gradual slope for wheelchair access, to be compliant with the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The grant the city is receiving is part of the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) through the DOT, which will cover 80 percent of the cost to build the park; the remaining 20 percent will come from the city.
Berrens said the project has been in talked about for a while, but the funding just wasn’t available.
Part of the reason the city was awarded the grant was also due to the fact that the new pedestrian bridge will connect the neighborhood east of the river to the downtown area so pedestrians can access essential services.
The city has been working on the design for the past couple months, hoping to tie in elements from the downtown area as well as ensuring the memorial park has all elements in place to properly honor veterans.
To do this, Berrens and Laura Colbert, the Parks and Recreation Director, said they have been meeting with local veterans groups in the area to assist in design elements.
“We’ve met with the commandant at the [Wisconsin] Veteran’s Home, we’ve met with the cemetery director and with the historical society just to make sure that we have all the information that we need as we move forward,” Colbert said.
Berrens said they are working on the design currently, so the final plans have not been set, and stressed there is a budget to be mindful of during the process.
The current plan that is being discussed includes stones and plaques displaying names of conflicts over the years, as well as a retaining wall under the bridge which they hope to display larger steel medallions.
Colbert said the bridge will be well lit and the shoreline cleaned up so the parks will be visible on both sides of the bridge.
Colbert said the downtown side of the bridge will be a location for ceremonies and memorial programs and the Schwenn-Lions side of the bridge will be where the veteran’s park is located.
“We’re really excited to bring a veteran’s memorial park to the city,” Colbert said.
Berrens agreed: “It felt kind of natural that it came up and every group that we’ve talked to just like ‘yes.’”
Once the design is finalized it will be put out to bid, once a bid is accepted the project will start in the spring of 2028.