Walnut Street Bridge - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania:

The Walnut Street Bridge was built as a toll bridge in 1889 by the Phoenix Bridge Company to compete with other toll bridges across the Susquehanna River. By the late 1920's toll bridges were unpopular and new bridges constructed as part of the interstate highway system reduced the importance of bridges like the Walnut Street Bridge. In 1972, because of damage sustained during hurricane Agnes, the bridge was closed to vehicular traffic and became a pedestrian crossing. This conversion to pedestrian use gave it a new purpose; the bridge became the preferred way for close to one million users a year to walk or bike across the river. But in January 1996 it lost three of its seven western spans to ice damage.

Print of 'Old Shaky' coming off the Walnut Street Bridge, by Earl Blust.
Shortly after the loss of the three western spans, the Peoples Bridge Coalition was formed to support the restoration of the bridge. Public surveys show overwhelming support for the restoration of the western spans. Unfortunately, funding is scarce and the coalition is trying to raise money through small projects like the sale of Dan Cupper's book, "The People's Bridge," to be published in August and the watercolor print of the bridge, painted by Earl Blust. For more information about the Walnut Street Bridge, please visit www.walnutstreetbridge.org .