The Pedestrian Bridge Saga

Many years ago, Nate Streitmatter, a neighbor and garden volunteer, welded together a pedestrian bridge so that garden visitors could easily cross the creek and visit the storybook Stone Cabin and Outdoor Fireplace. Garden visitors appreciated having access to the charm and history of these historic structures, along with the natural, shady, woodsy trails on the far side of the creek. The catch was that the bridge had to be raised by a chain and pulley system every winter to protect it from winter flooding, and then be lowered again in the spring. The bridge was quite heavy and the chains could get stuck, leaving the bridge hanging precariously. 

When it became clear that raising and lowering the bridge was too dangerous an undertaking for staff and volunteers, the decision was made in the fall of 2020 to leave the bridge in place. The hope was that it would survive the winter’s high water and debris. After a night of heavy rain on December 20th we posted a photo to the Garden’s Instagram account of the high water surrounding the bridge. 

About ten minutes later, we saw a message from a Garden neighbor saying, “I just saw the bridge float past my house!” After an initial moment of disbelief, we verified that in fact our bridge had traveled down the flooded creek just like a whitewater raft, and had come to rest upside down in the Johnson Creek floodplain south of Foster Road. Most likely a floating log had jarred it free and the rushing weather carried it promptly away. Video of flooding creek 

Thus began a five year long effort to raise the funding, obtain permits, pass reviews, jump through bureaucratic hurdles, and figure out the logistics of replacing the bridge. Thanks to the donations of hundreds of people, and in particular, thanks to the generous bequest from longtime volunteer and garden supporter, Diana Karabut, our replacement bridge has finally become a reality— the new bridge has been fabricated and is ready to install! We anticipate it being lowered into place later this season, as soon as the final permits have been approved. Stay tuned for updates. We look forward to celebrating the arrival of the new bridge with our community!