Almost six months after one of Christian County’s oldest bridges closed to traffic , the county has devised another plan to reuse Green Bridge. This time, the plan honors the right-of-way agreements made between Christian County officials and nearby landowners.
On July 9, the Christian County Commission voted unanimously in favor of a plan to relocate Green Bridge to its new 40-acre government campus, which broke ground last year.
Green Bridge was built over the Finley River in Christian County in 1912 and is among the oldest bridges in the county. The 112-year-old truss bridge has been a point of contention in the Ozark area since it closed in early February.
Some community members and officials have been vying to save Green Bridge. There were two options: leave the old bridge in place alongside the new bridge or move it somewhere else. But leaving it meant violating an agreement with landowners .
“I think that’s one of the best things that we can do is find a reuse for it so that we don’t erase our history. History is so important,” said Christian County Eastern District Commissioner Bradley Jackson at the July 9 meeting. “But at the same time, a promise was made to these landowners.”