The city of South Bend is closing its East Race waterway for the summer to accommodate some long-awaited upgrades.
Floating down the East Race in tubes has become a beloved summer pastime, but Patrick Sherman, director of project management in the city’s public works department, says there’s too much work planned to get it all done in the fall.
“Unfortunately it was inevitable that a year of the East Race operations was going to be affected by this," Sherman says.
The city’s Board of Public Works recently approved the $5.3 million project. The work includes replacing the wooden riverwalk between Seitz Park and Howard Park with a 14-foot-wide concrete walkway.
They’re also replacing and widening the pedestrian bridge that goes over the East Race, they’re replacing a temporary dock with a permanent one, resurfacing the concrete under the Jefferson Bridge, installing a new staircase near the bridge, and upgrading the stairs that connect the bridge down to Howard Park.
Sherman says the city also hates to close down that part of the riverwalk for a year.
“I know that a lot of people use that every single day and so there’s going to be a little bit of pain for a bit while this is getting done but it will be worth it when it’s all done.”
