EATON TOWNSHIP -- After nearly a decade of planning, one Wyoming County community finally has a new pedestrian bridge.
Eaton Township Supervisors will officially unveil a new pedestrian bridge tomorrow near Church Road in the village of Eatonville. The steel truss walking bridge goes over Bowmans Creek.
For the last 19 years, people in Eatonville have been divided by Bowman's Creek, with no way across.
Now, all those years later, the people of this small community in Wyoming County have reason to celebrate with their new pedestrian bridge.
"Once again we can say the community is kind of connected," said Carol Vogrin.
"It's been a great way to reunite the village," said township supervisor Randy Ehrenzeller." The village was divided when the bridge was closed, so at least now neighbors can visit and walk across and that sort of thing."
The pedestrian bridge replaces the old Eatonville bridge, built in 1897.
Back in 1996, we were first introduced to the old Eatonville bridge, still standing, but not by much.
But the old bridge isn't completely gone from Eatonville. Engineers were able to salvage the bridge's original abutments, just something to help keep the memories alive for people like Cyril Harvey.
"My kids walking across it to meet the school bus, learning to ride their bikes across and up and down," Harvey recalled.
With other nearby bridges handling the car traffic, this pedestrian bridge will help connect the Seneca Trail for bikers and walkers. The bridge will officially open Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
