Reconstructed bridge at defining City park is
making life easier for residents and visitors
By Jennifer Schmidt
C
arson Park, a scenic and heavily used
recreational space in the heart of Eau
Claire, Wisconsin, has been a fixture in
the City’s downtown area for decades and a
longtime regional draw for visitors. It features
a variety of amenities and is host to festivals,
celebrations, sporting events, and more.
But when the modest, 1930s-era bridge
at one of the signature park’s two entrances
started showing its age – deteriorating to the
point of becoming both structurally deficient
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and functionally obsolete – it was time to
take action and replace the aging bridge. City
officials recognized the prime opportunity
before them, and, while priority No. 1 was
a safe and structurally sound replacement
bridge, they also deeply desired to incorporate
improvements and aesthetic enhancements
that would serve the community well for
generations to come.
And they turned to Ayres Associates to
help them do it.