Nora Springs Mill Pond Bridge now has pathway system to walk along river

By Kelly Terpstra, kterpstra@charlescitypress.com

Trails, paths or walkways – and a river runs through it.

For the city of Nora Springs, the dream of a bridge over the city-dividing Shell Rock River that was finished last year was almost a century in the making.

Now the community of just over 1,400 that straddles the Floyd and Cerro Gordo county lines is looking at what it can do to make the attraction even more popular.

“The bridge is something that we’ve wanted for easily 100 years — no exaggeration,” said Emily Dykstra, chairwoman of the Nora Springs Parks and Recreation Board.

The $1.5 million Mill Pond Pedestrian Bridge that helped connect each side of town is getting a little window dressing this fall with the creation of a paved asphalt trail system. Next spring there are plans to create a new parking lot with retaining walls.

“We wanted to have the trail to show people what’s park land and what’s private property,” said Dykstra. “It also makes the shelter accessible. Before, if you had a stroller or wheelchair or something like that, you would not be able to get into the picnic shelter.”

Dykstra has seen more use of that shelter, as well as residents from the area snapping wedding photos or senior school pictures up on the bridge. Taking a leisurely stroll along the banks of the river is also a plus for nature lovers or those exercising.

“It extends and connects to the bridge and you can walk all along the base of the bluff there and turn around and come back,” said Dykstra.

Foot traffic increased in the area after the bridge was constructed. That created more interest in the Shell Rock River City Park that sits across the shore from Lookout Point Park and Old Mill Pond Park.

Dykstra and fellow parks and rec board member Mike Brallier have the numbers to prove it.

“We had over 7,000 people cross the bridge in two months,” said Dykstra, after a counter was placed on the 360-foot span.

That meant upgrades to the park’s shelter to go along with new picnic tables. Dykstra said a local Boy Scout troop helped put a new coat of paint up on the shelter along with new signage.

She said the shelter has come along way.

“That picnic shelter was probably the least used of any in our park system just because people didn’t know that it was there,” she said.

So much has changed in the picturesque area along the Shell Rock River since Nora Springs first conducted a feasibility study five years ago to decide whether to build a bridge.

“It was really an undeveloped park just because there was no reason to develop it,” said Dykstra.

She said the parks and rec board is also working on placing new signage around the area. A port-a-potty will also be placed within walking distance near the shelter.

Old picnic tables will be placed along the riverbanks so people fishing or enjoying the outdoors can soak in the beautiful panoramic view the river provides. Decorative rocks will be part of the landscape work near the parking lot.

“It was so much more work than we ever could have envisioned – a lot of thought and time went into this,” said Dykstra. “We just got paid out from our very last grant today (Friday). As of today, it’s all closed out, paid for and done.”

The bridge was dedicated during the Buffalo Days festival in Nora Springs this past summer. Nora Springs received a $1 million donation from the Adams Family Foundation for construction of the bridge and various projects associated with it.

Dykstra said Heartland Asphalt could complete the trail work by this weekend. WHKS was the engineering firm that Nora Springs contracted to come up with the design of the bridge and to form the trail system.

The pedestrian bridge will soon hook up with the Shell Rock River Greenbelt Trail, which is a 13-mile trail that connects Nora Springs and Rock Falls. Dykstra said there have also been talks about developing a wetland area in proximity to the new pedestrian bridge.

The pedestrian bridge is the centerpiece to help revamp and revitalize the area.

“We’ve had a long-term trail development plan in place and this is kind of the linchpin of it,” Dykstra said.

When the bridge is illuminated in the evening, it can be seen from quite a distance away.

“With the lights on at night, especially in the wintertime, it’s really cool,” said Dykstra.