MARION COUNTY, Iowa — Demolition work has begun on the historic Wabash Bridge in Marion County.

The Wabash Railroad Bridge was built over the Des Moines River south of Pella in the 1880s to connect Des Moines and St. Louis. It served as a railroad for several decades before being acquired by Marion County and turned into a county road in the late 1940s. The bridge was later closed to traffic and for the last 25 years has been used as a pedestrian bridge.

Marion County Engineer Tyler Christian said the bridge, classified as a historic structure, partially collapsed in March. The bridge was evaluated and a study was conducted to determine if it was feasible to repair. Christian said repairing the bridge was deemed a “fiscal constraint and impractical,” and thus it was decided to demolish the bridge.

The demolition is expected to be completed in about four to six weeks.

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