The historic Bertram Road “Blue Bridge,” which stood over Indian Creek for 146 years, is now starting a second life at the Indian Creek Nature Center.
A few years ago, when Linn County began plans to replace the historic Bertram Road bridge, the staff at Indian Creek Nature Center (ICNC) began working to bring the “Blue Bridge” to the center’s trail system. This fall, ICNC staff watched as a semi-trailer guided by a construction crew delivered the bridge to its new home on Indian Creek Nature Center’s trail system.
Establishing the bridge as part of the Indian Creek Nature Center’s trail system aligns with the ICNC mission in multiple ways, officials say. Keeping the bridge’s materials out of a landfill and repurposing the bridge “demonstrates to the community how, with some added effort, we can eliminate waste and instead turn the old into something new, useful and even beautiful,” an ICNC blog post says.
In addition to reusing these materials, the bridge will also complement the existing ICNC trail system. Preserving the “Blue Bridge,” as it became known locally after being repainted in 1991, allows the Indian Creek Nature Center to honor the history of the neighborhood the ICNC has been a part of since 1973.
Built in 1876 by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company, the Bertram Road “Blue Bridge” served local vehicle traffic for 146 years.
The bridge did have some work done over the years. The timber approach spans were reconstructed in 1987, and the timber deck was replaced five times during the bridge’s lifespan. The timber from the road bridge is also being repurposed on the bridge that now rests on the Indian Creek Nature Center grounds.
Looking to the east from the ICNC parking lot, visitors can now see the bright blue of the bridge’s painted steel peeking out from the treeline. Beyond its obvious photogenic qualities, the bridge will connect our trails in new ways.
The bridge will connect the northeast corner of the Stimple Prairie and the northwest corner of the Cedar Rapids Prairie, increasing access to the Cedar Rapids Prairie and the Cedar Overlook Trail, which connects the Cedar Rapids Prairie to the Woodland Trail and Hazelnut Hideaway.
Moving a 146-year-old bridge proved to be challenging, and the bridge was able to find its new home despite setbacks.
The original date for delivery was April 3, 2023, but the bridge collapsed during the first attempt to move it. But disappointment was transformed to cautious optimism as structural engineers began working to find ways to strengthen the bridge so that it could still find a new home.
Over the summer, parts of the bridge were removed or welded to improve the bridge’s ability to be lifted by a crane onto a truck, driven nearly one mile, and then lifted by crane and placed on a prepared substructure.
On the morning of Sept. 23, crews successfully delivered the bridge to its new home at the Indian Creek Nature Center.
After the bridge’s arrival, the work was not done. Crews have been reassembling the parts of the bridge that were detached before transporting the bridge, and ICNC staff have begun clearing the connecting trails that will lead up to the approach on each end of the bridge.
While the work to prepare the bridge for hikers is still being done, the relocated “Blue Bridge” will soon be open to the public.
A new, modern Bertram Road bridge has been constructed over Indian Creek, at a cost of $2.4 million.
