For Gail Hogan and her dog Brody, taking a walk along the trails of Hinkle and Deegan Lakes is nothing new. What is new, however, is that she no longer has to head out onto Route 58 to go from the public side of the lake to the private side.

 

“This is much better,” Hogan said earlier this week.

 

What Hogan is referring to is a $19,000 project that is officially complete and now open for public use. Earlier this month, Bridgeport Parks and Recreation officially opened up a new walking bridge at the base of Hinkle Lake close to Route 58. The new walking bridge allows individuals such as Hogan a crossing point to the other side of the lake that doesn’t involve cutting across traffic.

 

“It’s been well received already,” said P&R Director Don Burton. “I actually had a gentleman stop me in the middle of Main Street the other day and told me he loved the ramp at the lower lake. We hope it sees plenty of usage and we’re certain it’s a safer option than those who have tried to navigate the trail by going out on (Route 58) to get to the other side.”

 

The new bridge in question wasn’t the result of master planning or looking for a magic bullet. Rather, Burton said it was more luck than anything else.

 

“Two years ago, I was out on a walk and actually hiking a bit off the trail when I saw an old concrete structure jutting up in the area where you couldn’t walk,” said Burton. “I later found out the structure was part of the base for a trolley trail that ran through there maybe 100 years ago.”

 

And that is what got things started. Eventually, Burton said city staff came out and cleared the brush and debris that had overgrown the area from decades of nonuse and there was a clear area from one side of the walking trail to the other with the elevated concrete base in the middle. The only thing needed was a way to connect the two sides.

 

“We had staff check out the base and it was in okay condition so we moved ahead. We eventually were able to use the concrete base as the base for the new bridge and that’s where we’re at today,” said Burton of the bridge that was locally fabricated.

 

Although the bridge itself has been up for a few weeks, Burton said it still needed finishing touches before being opened to the public. He said city workers painted the structure, did some minor welding and bolted down handrails to the concrete deck before it was opened.

 

Burton said the cost of that project could be up to $50,000. However, he said that’s more of an educated guess as opposed to a sturdy figure.

 

“The trail system at the lakes is highly utilized by the community,” said Burton. “We hope to continue improvements and see increased usage in the years ahead.”

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Gail Hogan and her dog Brody taking advantage of the new walking bridge, while Parks and Recreation Director Don Burton is shown in the photo below.