As a next step in the John Henry Historical Park (JHHP) Walking Bridge project, the Summers County Commission, E.L Robinson Engineering Firm, the State Department of Highways engineers, and project manager Mike Cales will be meeting on October 14 at 10 a.m. in the County Commission Meeting room in the SC Courthouse. The meeting will be held in two parts, beginning with a project discussion, followed by an on-site visit. The meeting is open to the public. The meeting focus will be the input needed for the engineering study and design for the walking bridge, as funded by a $50,000 grant received from Governor Justice’s office.
The bridge will go over Hungard’s Creek following the old railroad path and will be for pedestrians only, with no vehicular traffic. E.L. Robinson Engineering will perform the design for the bridge as well as update the John Henry Historical Park master plan, which was originally developed in 2009. Services the firm will also provide include identifying the rough order of magnitude for the construction costs and helping identify construction grant sources. Projects of this complexity require close coordination, and Commissioner Ted Kula organized the stakeholders for this meeting. Commissioner Kula stated he is “excited about the progress and watching this site develop as a treasure for the county.”
The walking bridge is just one part of the overall strategy of the Summers County Commission to develop county-owned properties, including Cooper’s Mill, Camp Summers, the Willowwood river-side property, and others. The strategy includes site improvements to serve both Summers County residents and visitors. The County Commission is excited about the bridge as it will encourage more visitors to JHHP and provide residents with another reason to be proud of our beloved Summers County.
