(WBRE/WYOU) — A bridge that’s been closed for decades now has new life. The Mott Street Bridge, which connects Milford to Dingman Township, is now open for hikers and bikers.
“This is a really important day for this region of Pike County. The Mott Street Bridge is a great connection to some incredible trails. This area that we’re standing on right now in Dingman Township has been a place where people came to visit 150 years ago. That’s how beautiful a scenery this is. It’s a historical bridge because it’s only one of 11 left I believe in the entire country. The first bridge being completed in 1881 but by 1900 they knew they needed to build something of more substance so they built this pratt truss-through bridge that serviced the borough here for 80 years and now it’s being refurbished,” Pike County Commissioners chairman Matthew Osterberg said.
“For the most part, it’s a steel and iron bridge. Towards the end of the project we ran into some situations where some replacement was needed but 90 percent of the bridge is original. We ended up replacing floor beams and replacing and repairing a lot of tension members and then painting it back to what’s most likely its original color. We might be a few shades off but I think that’s the original color,” Pike County engineer Michael Lamoreaux said.
“We used to use it. My whole family, my four kids, my husband walked over it all the time. It was a regular part of connecting to the knob and to Milford Cemetery. It was just a wonderful place for people to gather and enjoy the gorgeous environment that we have here in the Milford area, Pike County. It’s a wonderful celebration for sure,” Celeste O’Neil said.
The project cost $1.6 million. Several grants helped cover the restoration.
