The hazardous bridge near the Price County Fairgrounds made another appearance on the June 2 Committee of the Whole meeting agenda, where council members discussed further options. Mayor Charles Peterson expressed a growing concern over injury on the severely worn-down bridge. “I'm trying to get out ahead of something bad happening,” said Peterson. “We're trying to make this the best thing for everyone.”
This topic has come up for discussion in the past at the City of Phillips meetings. With large holes in the surface of the abandoned bridge, which is often used by fishermen, there is a significant risk that someone could fall through the bridge and sustain injury. According to discussion by council members, the difficulty with the removal of the bridge is the cost involved and the steps that will need to be taken with the DNR while dismantling the structure.
The situation is further complicated by confusion of the ownership of the bridge. According city legal counsel Bruce Marshall, the bridge has three governments involved with the city owning one side of the bridge, Price County as the original builder of the bridge, and the Town of Worchester as the secondary owner. There is also ownership by private individuals.
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