East Bank Trail bridge over Leeper won't re-open until late September. Here's why.

Joseph Dits, South Bend Tribune
·1 min read
The East Bank Trail bridge over Leeper Avenue in South Bend remains closed, awaiting repairs, as seen here in November 2023.
The East Bank Trail bridge over Leeper Avenue in South Bend remains closed, awaiting repairs, as seen here in November 2023.

SOUTH BEND — Pack your patience if you regularly walk or bike the East Bank Trail’s bridge over Leeper Avenue.

The bridge, which has been closed since late last year, won’t reopen this summer as the city had originally expected. Instead, city officials say it will reopen at the end of September, according to Tribune reporter Jordan Smith, who covers South Bend city government.

Construction to replace the old wooden decking with concrete should begin in June. Project engineer Chana Roshyk says that, by using concrete, the city will shore up the bridge for another 70 to 80 years. If the city simply replaced the bridge’s timber with new timber, she says, it would likely need renovations in another 20 years at most.

Prior update in January 2024: Key section of East Bank Trail closed through mid-summer as South Bend plans redesign

So, the South Bend Redevelopment Commission recently agreed to give an additional $120,000 to the project after allotting $300,000 this January.

Yes, this has been a pain for such a key connecting trail. You can detour the closed bridge via stairs that connect to Leeper and a separate set of stairs connecting to the trail from the sidewalk along Indiana 933.

Find columnist Joseph Dits on Facebook at SBTOutdoorAdventures or 574-235-6158 or jdits@sbtinfo.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: East Bank Trail bridge over Leeper in South Bend repairs delayed