West Mary Street Bridge in Jackson now complete, runners impressed

JACKSON, Mo. (KBSI) – To cross the creek bordering Jackson City Park, drivers and pedestrians used to have to cross a low-water bridge that flooded routinely.

But now, the people who use this bridge in Jackson don’t have to worry about it being shut down due to flooding because it is a high-water bridge.

“It looks really good. It’s definitely an upgrade from the old one, for sure,” runner Kael Coffey said.

Coffey and Jack Hutson run in the park almost every day, and they are both impressed with the new West Mary Street Bridge. 

“It’s definitely nicer,” Coffey said. “We just ran up it yesterday, and it’s definitely much nicer than the old one.” 

“It looks really cool,” Hutson said. “I remember when they tore it down, and we would always run on this trail right here. It’s really nice compared to the old one, for sure.” 

Hutson said flooding was a frequent problem, and it would often cause he and Coffey to re-route their runs. 

“I remember sometimes we’d run down this path, but then we couldn’t because the water would always be like three feet, way too high,” he said.

Coffey said running during the construction wasn’t as tough as it could have been, but it wasn’t ideal. 

“They did clear out a spot for us, so it wasn’t too bad, but it was a little bit tough to run around it, so it’s nice that they’re done,” he said.

And Coffey complimented the city of Jackson for freshening up the park. 

“It’s nice to see that they’re making an effort to just make the park clean and safe for everyone,” he said.

All told, the West Mary Street Bridge and Sidewalks Improvement Project cost $1.6 million.