Firerock Footbridge in northwest Bend has been closed to the public since 2015 over concerns about its structural stability.

But substantial community opposition to its removal has shed new light on the city’s demolition efforts, as Rimrock West residents argued that removing the bridge violates promises made in 1992 to keep the bridge open after the city annexed the underlying property.

Firerock Footbridge, built sometime in the 1970s, was originally constructed to support a water pipeline across the Deschutes River near Archie Briggs Road in Bend, but it has since become a popular river access point. When the city obtained the footbridge from its private owner, nearby residents stated concerns that the bridge could be closed. In response, the city issued a letter explicitly promising the community to keep the bridge open.

“The city entered into an agreement to maintain the bridge and (river) access points in exchange for the annexation of the neighborhoods on either side. That the city failed in its responsibility to maintain the bridge does not justify reasoning that the bridge is in such disrepair that it must now be demolished,” said Rimrock West resident Jared Baker during a public hearing at the city’s Planning Commission meeting on Monday.

Even so, the bridge, and an adjoining staircase that provides river access, were identified as a candidate for demolition as part of the city’s effort to consolidate infrastructure. Jason Suhr, the project engineer for the city’s Firerock Footbridge & Staircase Removal Project, said the planning department saw no sense in continuing to maintain a derelict bridge that no longer supports an active waterline.

But the 1992 letter has caused the city to reevaluate its plans, and delayed the Engineering and Infrastructure Planning Department’s presentation at the Planning Commission’s next meeting, said Suhr. It’s unclear what the city will present at the April 22 meeting, but Suhr alluded to discussions of a river access alternative that would satisfy the 1992 promise.

“We’re working with residents out there for a staircase replacement on that side of the river to provide them access down there … The previous direction was just a removal, but we are looking to go with a replacement of that staircase on the east side,” Suhr said.

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While this alternative still means the Firerock Footbridge would be demolished, it would be a success for residents who said during the public comment that they resented that the removal proposal didn’t present the public with any alternatives to demolition. However, in 2021, the city did conduct a structural analysis.

“We did an assessment of the bridge and found that there’s a number of structural deficiencies. There’s also code compliance issues that the bridge and the staircase don’t meet, and out of a matter of public health and safety, we elected to remove those structures,” Suhr said.

The 2021 structural analysis showed there was no cost-effective way to maintain the bridge and that any reconstruction using the existing structure was unwise. It ultimately concluded that a “complete replacement of the bridge is recommended if a pedestrian crossing is desired at this location.” Suhr’s response to the possibility of constructing a completely new bridge was that “there’s always the ability to have future conversations.”

More information about the city’s plans to demolish the Firerock Footbridge are expected at the Planning Commission meeting on April 22 at 5:30 p.m. Public comment on this topic is already open and will remain open until the meeting. The public can attend via a Zoom meeting link to be posted on the city’s website.