The city of Springfield kicked off construction of the long-awaited Jefferson Avenue Footbridge Rehabilitation project on Wednesday.

Attendees heard from project partners and took the opportunity to leave their signature on a new steel beam that will soon be used in the rehabilitation of the historic bridge. Many sat to view the city’s contractor, Branco, at work as specialized crews continued to remove sections of the footbridge for rehabilitation on the ground.

“This project has been a long time coming,” said Springfield Mayor Jeff Schrag at the ceremony. “It represents years of hard work, advocacy, and a shared belief that the character and history of this bridge—and of C-Street—are worth preserving and reimagining for future generations. Thank you to Lincoln Hough and our State Legislators for approving an $8 million state budget appropriation to support this project. And thanks to all the project partners who helped bring us to this moment.” ... click here to read more