116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Beware road closure as old railroad bridge comes down in Marion
MARION - Removal of the former railroad bridge above Marion Boulevard is moving along.
The construction is part of the future CeMar Trail project, which will provide a trail system connecting Uptown Marion to downtown Cedar Rapids, providing over seven miles of paved trail for walkers, runners and bicyclists.
The removal of the old bridge is phase three of the project's five-phase process.
The project will close that section of Marion Boulevard from 7 p.m. Oct. 26 to 6 a.m. Oct. 27 to remove the center pier of the structure, according to Marion Communications Manager Amber Bisinger. She said once that portion of the bridge removal is complete, crews will replace the center median.
The remaining work is expected to take a couple of weeks, Bisinger said. One lane will be maintained in each direction of the street during the process.
Construction of a new pedestrian bridge spanning Marion Boulevard is expected to begin next summer. Local artist Cara Briggs Farmer and Synergy Metal Works were selected to design the gateway features for the new bridge.
Comments: (319) 398-8255; gage.miskimen@thegazette.com
Workers with Peterson Contractors of Reinbeck use breakers to separate concrete from rebar as demolition continues Wednesday on supports of a former railroad bridge over Marion Boulevard in Marion. A pedestrian bridge will be built in its place. The work is part of the CeMar Trail project, which will link the Cedar Lake and Cedar River Trail systems in downtown Cedar Rapids to the Uptown Marion district. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Traffic along Marion Boulevard is narrowed to two lanes as demolition continues on the former railroad bridge over Marion Boulevard in Marion. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Workers with Peterson Contractors Inc. of Reinbeck use breakers to separate concrete from rebar on supports of the former railroad bridge over Marion Boulevard. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
Dust and debris flies as workers with Peterson Contractors of Reinbeck use breakers to separate concrete from rebar as demolition continues on supports of the former railroad bridge. Construction of a new pedestrian bridge over the road is expected to start next summer. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)
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