The bridge on Glenn Avenue, just inside the Rowan County line, was closed in 1995 after inspectors deemed it unsafe. Buses from nearby McKnight Child Development Center have been rerouted. Folks who used to walk to church or to visit neighbors have become accustomed to detours.

Residents have signed petitions, appealed to the City Council, conducted a letter-writing campaign to Raleigh and still don’t have a bridge.

Over the years, residents have voiced concern that the city intended to keep the bridge closed. A former member of the Rowan Cabarrus Parks Commission, Bernard Beaver, acknowledged the panel discussed asking that the bridge remain closed to further enhance Bakers Creek Park, which is adjacent. He said the matter was dropped.

City officials have repeatedly denied any interest in keeping the street closed.

Throughout the process, city officials have blamed the state bureaucracy for the delay.

State officials have countered that the city did not follow the correct procedures set forth to qualify for the federal bridge replacement project. It is the first municipal bridge project the city has attempted to get funded under the federal program.

Among the errors cited by the state is the city’s hiring of engineers to design a bridge before any studies were done to determine the maximum flood and the type of bridge needed. They had to redesign the project after the studies were completed.

Gene Beaver, a resident of the area and one of those active in keeping the bridge on the front burner, said Wednesday he has been assured that construction will start soon. “I won’t have a real cozy feeling until I see construction,” said Beaver.

All of the paperwork, including utility right of ways, environmentl studies, flow studies and the design have now been completed to the satisfaction of the the DOT.

W.M. Petit, the DOT official who oversees the municipal bridge program, said he has asked for authorization from the Federal Highway Administration to proceed with advertising the project for bid.

Once the authorization is received, the city will do the advertising and forward the bids to the DOT. The actual contract will be awarded by the DOT.

Petit said he can’t say how long that will take, only that the project is now “very close” to getting under way.

The project has been estimated to cost around $300,000. The wooden bridge that has been barricaded will be replaced by a concrete culvert structure.