Liberty Bridge maintenance delayed

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The start date for a Liberty Bridge maintenance project in Greenville has been postponed. WSP USA, the engineering firm hired by the city to monitor the project, is working with the contractor to enhance the environmental plan, the city said in a statement. The first stage of work, originally set for July 5, is now expected to begin Monday, July 23, the statement said.

A start date for the second phase has not been set, according to Leslie Fletcher, communications manager for the city of Greenville. The bridge will be closed for the second phase, which will last 18 days, she said.

The city hired Astron General Contracting Company to clean and paint the bridge’s structural steel components and remove and replace grommets, according to an earlier news release. This will be the first time the Liberty Bridge has been painted since its construction was completed in 2004.

According to Mari Steinbach, director of the city’s parks department, maintaining the bridge’s structural integrity and ensuring the public’s safety are the city’s highest priorities, but city staff is sensitive to the fact that the bridge is the centerpiece of downtown and its most popular destination.

“While the vibrancy of downtown is part of what makes Greenville so special, it also makes it challenging to find opportunities to perform the work required to maintain the city’s high standards,” Steinbach said in a press release. “We scheduled this work for the summer months because the paint will adhere to the structure better when applied in warm temperatures, and we chose the particular timeframe to avoid the popular July 4 and Labor Day holidays.”