After 4 1/2 years of being closed, the pedestrian bridge across the Tombigbee River is finally on the verge of reopening.

During a Wednesday press conference, Mayor Keith Gaskin said Malouf Construction has almost completed the $4.1 million project to replace a damaged pier at the historic bridge.

The city is hoping to celebrate the reopening of the bridge with a concert on Oct. 6, Gaskin said, though the specifics are still tentative.

“Malouf is scheduled to be complete with all bridge repairs by the end of the month,” Gaskin said. “I hope people will mark their calendars and be ready for that.”

Built in 1927, the pedestrian bridge, accessible from Riverside Park, is on the National Register of Historic Places. The bridge was damaged in February 2020, after a tow boat owned by Cooper Marine and Timberlands grounded near the channel opening to the Old Tombigbee River near Columbus. A second boat owned by Max Marine came to aid the grounded vessel and, in the process, a loaded barge broke loose and struck the pedestrian bridge’s eastern support pier.

The city sued both companies in March 2021 and accepted a $4.2 million settlement in February 2023. Repairs to the bridge started last fall.

City Engineer Kevin Stafford told The Dispatch in February that a temporary truss would be used to lift the bridge above the damaged pier and hold it in place until the old pier could be removed and a new pier could be installed.

Stafford told The Dispatch Friday that the bridge has been lowered onto its new pier and new pillar. The new pillar is much stronger than the originals, he said, even while the exterior looks the same.

Now, he said, Malouf Construction has entered the “demobilization” stage, where they take down the crane and temporary equipment that helped to support the bridge during repairs.

“When we met last week on it, they said they hoped early next week they will be done and basically shipping everything back downriver and unloading at the port, putting everything on trucks and heading back home, if you will,” Stafford said.

But Stafford said Malouf will need to return in about three or four weeks to complete lighting updates on the bridge that were added to the project. Stafford said the light poles have already been replaced and updated, but the spotlights that highlight the structure of the bridge also need to be updated to LEDs.

“Every light will be brand new and working on the bridge,” Stafford said.

After that, Stafford said, it’s just a matter of painting, landscaping, and other finishing touches from the city before the bridge and the park underneath it are ready to reopen.

“Being on the doorstep of downtown, I’m just glad to get it reopened so the public can use it,” Stafford said.

There are a few unexpected benefits from the bridge being repaired, Stafford said. Malouf will also be leaving a pedestal underwater, which will make it easier to rebuild the temporary structures needed for repairs if “God forbid this ever happens again.”

Stafford said when Malouf removed the old pier from the river, they broke it up into rip rap, which is now on the bank of the river to help prevent the shore from eroding.