Woodward High Trestle nears completion

     A pleasant Sunday drive (in our old Volkswagon) on a beautiful April  afternoon took us across the Des Moines River near Woodward, IA.  This gave us a great view of what will soon become one of the wonders of the Iowa cycling world:  the high trestle on the Ankeny-Woodward trail.  Parts of the trail opened last year, and its most dramatic feature is nearing completion.
     The new trestle spans the DM River and takes riders on the last trail section into Woodward.  Crossing the broad river valley on the original stone piers left in place after the rail abandonment, construction of the span connecting the piers began in 2009.  We watched the construction cranes move farther and farther out over the river during the low-water season last fall, until winter put a stop to our sightseeing.
      Today's trip to view the bridge progress gave us a surprise.  Construction of the bridge floor seemed complete; it now spans the river and construction cranes are mostly gone.  It appears (although I have no official word to verify this) that the bridge is there and lacks only railings and (probably) a finished riding surface and approaches at both ends to make it bike-ready.
     The extremely high water level (thanks to one whopper of a snowpack that had to go somewhere) made the trestle look even more dramatic.  We are already anticipating our first ride on this section of the new trail, currently scheduled to open in late summer or early fall.

Looking through the trees, the bridge is so  long I could not get all of it into one photo..

 

Riding across it is going to be one SPECTACULAR trip!

After the bridge the trail rolls into Woodward through two new underpasses just completed.  Note that the trail surface is smooth new concrete.