Ross approves new pedestrian bridges
Natalie Coffin Greene Park will get new bridges.
The Ross Town Council voted unanimously to approve purchasing three new pedestrian spans at a meeting Thursday.
The prefabricated steel truss bridges will cost $125,000, and include a contingency.
“This project will enhance an important community entryway and local hiking corridor,” Mayor Julie McMillan said. “The new bridges replace old wooden bridges, which were removed last September due to their extensive deterioration.”
Three bridges in the picnic area and near the Three Bear Hut structure were removed in September 2024 due to unsafe conditions. The wooden, structural supportive beams had degraded extensively on all of the bridges, according to the staff report.
Town Manager Christa Johnson said town think the bridges date back to the late 1930s to the early 1940s. The town took them over in the late 1960s.
“They are well used by pedestrians enjoying the park and adjacent trail system in Mt. Tam,” Johnson said. “Maintaining this mobility and access for pedestrians fulfills many of the Town Council’s goals.”
It will take between six and eight months to manufacture and deliver the bridges. The new bridges will have a “weathered” steel finish and wood bridge decking and railings, according to the staff report.
“The handrails to be installed at the approaches to the bridges will be constructed out of timber on site to match the rustic look and feel of the new bridges within the park setting,” the staff report said.
The total cost of the project comes to $287,000.
The South Carolina-based manufacturer, Bridge Brothers, was awarded the contract over two other companies — Excel and Contech — as the lowest bidder. Excel quoted the town $135,000 and Contech $115,000 before including a 23% contingency for taxes and unexpected costs.
The cost to remove the bridges is estimated at $25,000. In March 2025, the town hired Moe Engineering and MKM structural engineers for $87,000 to review the existing conditions and topography of the site, and for engineering design for the project. An early estimate for preparing and retrofitting the site is $75,000.
The bridges are expected to arrive in fall 2025. They are expected to open in December.