STORY CITY – Damaged almost to the point of destruction, is how Story City officials are describing the iconic swinging bridge.
“I was kind of devastated to hear that,” says photographer Pete Tekippe. Tekippe has been a photographer in Story City for nearly three decades. He says there’s nothing like the swinging bridge anywhere else in Iowa. “Built in the 1930’s, it’s just a very unique bridge. If you get enough people on it, you can barely walk on it and it’s truly a swinging bridge.”
Tekippe admits the swinging bridge has been the focal point for many of his pictures. From beauty shots, to family portraits and more. “I’m so fortunate like I said, and in a couple of minutes and we can use the bridge.”
But that could change after massive chunks of ice had no mercy on the iconic bridge. Tekippe says “It did some pretty heavy damage to it.”
Mayor Mike Jensen blames an ice jam on the Skunk River. “The ice was piled up against the entire bridge and of course the force of the water, forced the whole bridge south.”
The intensity of the ice forced portions of the bridge to buckle. Jensen is worried insurance might not cover the damage. If that’s the case, he knows the community will rally together. “It will be put back like it was, it will be a fixture in the community for many years to come.” Tekippe says “I hope they can get it put back together so people can enjoy it in the summer again.”
It’s still unknown how much money it will take to rebuild the bridge. City Council members will be meeting with several contractors to determine exactly how much money it’s going to take to repair.