Plans are moving ahead to bring the historic Newbern Bridge to the People Trail in Columbus. The bridge will be placed over Haw Creek near Lincoln Park to let pedestrians cross the creek, rather than share the 25th Street and National Road bridge with motorists.

Yesterday the Bartholomew County Commissioners approved a $216 thousand dollar contract with Strand Associates to oversee the bridge rebuilding project. County Engineer Danny Hollander explains that 80 percent of the cost will be paid by the federal government, with the county and city of Columbus splitting the remainder.

Hollander said that because the project is federally funded, an engineer is required to be on site at all times the work is being done and there is no way for the county to do that work in-house.

Hollander said the bridge reconstruction project should be opened to bidders in February and the work should start next spring. He anticipated it would be finished by fall of 2017.

The bridge originally was built in 1910 over Clifty Creek.