Page 90 - 2021 Sustainability Report

COMMUNITY WELL-BEING

In total, 17 groups from across the region answered the ad. Ultimately, just one was selected: Colorado businessman
Slawomir “Bart” Bartkowiak. A community-minded man with a love for history who enjoys the region’s parks, Bartkowiak
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said he had great interest in securing the bridge in order to gift it to the Canon City Area Recreation and Park District.
While the final details of the plan are still coming together, Bartkowiak said the bridge will likely be moved to Pathfinder
Regional Park in Fremont County, Colorado, where it will serve as a foot bridge over a creek leading to the Arkansas
River.

“I read the article, learned that Martin Marietta was willing to turn the bridge over for the gracious price of $1, and just
wanted to do what I could to preserve it,” Bartkowiak said. “I’ve always had a strong interest in history and historic items
like antique airplanes and cars. I realized that very few would have the resources needed to move this bridge, so for me, it
was a great way to give back to the community.”

Sheahan said construction on the new bridge began in January 2021. Once the west section of the new structure was
completed, the team then removed the 100-year-old bridge while taking extra care to preserve as much of the original
structure as possible. The old bridge was then placed to a side staging area.

“Part of me is really happy to no longer have to worry about this bridge and it’s engineering,” Sheahan said. “The other
part of me is in awe. It’s something to think about all this bridge has meant over an entire century. For as old as it is, it
was the only access to our quarry for years and allowed our people and customers to safely enter our site. I’m thrilled that
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it will continue its life by serving the people of Canon City, Fremont County and beyond.”

”I’ve got a bridge to sell you”

Here are a few key facts about the bridge at Parkdale
Quarry:
• The bridge doesn’t have an official name, per se,
but is widely known as the Harvey Bridge.
• The structure crossed the Arkansas River and was
the only access road to Parkdale Quarry until
earlier this year.
• Between the quarry team of 26, the occasional Removal of Historic
Bridge Underway
customer truck (98% of the site’s materials are
shipped by rail) and assorted visitors (including
river rafters), about 100 vehicles crossed the span
each day.
• According to The Colorado Sun, the bridge is the
only riveted Warren pony truss bridge left in the
state.
• The bridge was partially built upon a concrete pier
planted in the water about 15 feet from the river’s
edge. The pier’s removal is widely viewed as an
environmental benefit.

Old bridge awaiting
it new home

88 2021 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT