Plans for Credit Island trail bridge draw concerns

Tue April 21 2009
Posted Apr 21, 2009
5,428

Davenport, IA By Tory Brecht A new bridge designed to hook a refurbished Credit Island Park into Davenport’s extensive recreation trail system is drawing opposition from an unexpected source — some members of the newly formed Friends of Credit Island group. The $2.3 million bridge, which will be paid for through a $1.8 million federal grant and $500,000 in city matching funds, is already well into the design phase. Park staff hope to accept contract bids in July. But many of the 86 members of the Friends group, which is still pursuing official status with the city, have serious qualms about the bridge, Friends President Van Willows said. “I can tell you right now, other than city staff and maybe a couple council members, no one is in favor of this bridge,” Willows said. The biggest worry is the impact the bridge would have on future plans to dredge the Credit Island harbor, one of the Friends group’s top goals, Willows said. Specifically, members fear dredging equipment on barges would not be able to clear the bridge span. There are also concerns about the bridge’s isolated location — 1.2 miles west of the causeway, near the nature trails on the back end of the island — making it a magnet for graffiti, vandalism and other illegal activity. Greg Albansoder, who is managing the bridge project for the city, said staff is aware of the concerns and is seeking to alleviate them. He, along with Mayor Bill Gluba and Parks Director Seve Ghose, met with Friends members Tuesday night. The bridge will be made of steel and washable coated concrete, making it virtually graffiti-proof, Ghose said. Albansoder said there will be 25 feet of clearance under the bridge when the water in the harbor is at 7 feet, which is about 5 feet higher than the typical depth. Another point of contention is sharing the road around Credit Island with bicyclists, Willows said. Already, some members of the Friends group are grumbling about the city deciding to make the road one-way, to accommodate bikes. Adding more, through connection to the trail system, could lead to congestion and safety issues, he said. But connecting to the trails is the very reason for the bridge project, Albansoder said. “The Friends of Credit Island are having trouble comprehending the concept that bikes on roads are OK,” he said. Currently, Davenport’s riverfront recreation trail ends with a loop around Credit Island. The new bridge will extend the trail off the island’s southwest end, near where the road loops back north currently. After crossing the river, the trail will eventually hook up to a trail being built through Sunderbruch Park via both dedicated recreation trail and shared-road bike paths along South Concord Street, Rockingham Road and Wisconsin Avenue. Eventually, a 38-mile loop of bike trails will encircle the Iowa Quad-Cities and tie in to the national American Discovery and Mississippi River trails. Willows said the Friends group members don’t believe South Concord Street is in good enough shape to be part of the recreational trail system. They also object to the bridge being open to traffic at night, despite cars being blocked by gates near the causeway entrance. “The bikes are getting more of the deal than the cars,” Willows said. Ultimately, the decision to award a construction contract will fall to the Davenport City Council.