Brandy and I have taken Gareth to Talleyrand park a few times. And every time, we’ve wanted to get to the other side of Spring Creek. Because of the bridge, what with its steps on both sides, we end up walking Gareth in his wheelchair out along the road on a narrow, crumbling sidewalk. We tried lifting him up onto the bridge once, but we’ll not do that again.

And, it seems, we won’t have to. Bellefonte is installing a handicap accessible bridge in Talleyrand as I write this! Since I don’t trust the CDT to have the story online more than two weeks, you can jump below to read it here.

Wednesday, Oct. 03, 2007

Bridge to improve Talleyrand linkages

Anne Danahy

BELLEFONTE — A bridge that will connect sections of Talleyrand Park is arriving today, and the borough is getting help paying for its installation.

The Centre County Board of Commissioners agreed Tuesday to award $150,000 of state Growing Greener II money for the project.

The money will be used for the installation of the timber bridge, which came from a Penn State research project.

Assistant Borough Manager Sue Hannegan said improving the links and walkways in and around the park is part of the borough’s waterfront master plan.

The plan calls for a total of seven bridges over Spring Creek.

“This is our first effort. This is our first bridge,” Hannegan said.

The bridge will cross the Spring Creek outflow and connect the new section of Talleyrand Park near the Big Spring to the sculpture garden area. The idea is to link the American Philatelic Society area to the park and downtown.

“With the expansion of Talleyrand Park, we recognized the need to improve pedestrian linkages,” Hannegan said.

The bridge is part of the plans to make the park handicap-accessible.

“It also draws attention to a prime resource we value very highly,” Hannegan said, referring to Big Spring.

The bridge is scheduled to be delivered between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. today. Hannegan said the borough plans to regrade the bridge to make it handicap-accessible and install black iron hand rails on it.

The bridge was the work of Walter G.M. Schneider III, chief engineer and principal at Haas Architects Engineers.

Schneider made it as part of his doctorate in structural engineering at Penn State.

Bob Jacobs, director of County Planning and Community Development, said the project is an example of public and private cooperation. Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc. is donating time to move it.

Once installed, it will provide a link between businesses that are around the park, Jacobs said.

The county is receiving $1.38 million in state Growing Greener II money, which comes from a $625 million voter-approved bond.