When Ben LeNail’s son Max drowned while crossing the San Diego River in Mission Trails Park, LeNail immediately vowed to build a bridge across the river in honor of his child.
That was in January 2021. Now, after more than four years of tireless effort, LeNail says he’s given up. He has issued a stop-work order on all activities for the Max Lenail Memorial Bridge. “I’m very sad. It’s like Max dying a second time, my tribute to him not coming to fruition,” LeNail reflects. “It’s a huge missed opportunity because it has universal support. Everybody wants it. I’m questioning myself, how I couldn’t get to the final stretch.”
But by all accounts, LeNail did everything right. The issue is that building in Mission Trails over the San Diego River requires a massive number of permits and studies on the impacts of the surrounding environment. LeNail was hoping a federal grant secured by Congresswoman Sara Jacobs would pay for much of that, but when President Trump took office, the funding was cut off…