Parks to Receive Boardwalk Wood
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By FRANCES WOMBLE
The wooden boardwalk along Route 1 will no longer be serving students crossing from the bridge onto campus. Instead, the University of Mary Washington will be donating it to benefit the parks of the City of Fredericksburg.
The boardwalk will be removed over the weekend of April 30, according to George Farrar, associate vice president of university relations.
According to Bob Antozzi, director of parks, recreation and public facilities for the city of Fredericksburg, UMW is giving the wood from the boardwalk to city to be used to improve or create crossings of various streams and ditches in city parks, including Rappahannock Heritage Trail, Riverside Drive, Old Mill Park and Dixon Park.
“It’s a tremendous gift,” he said. Antozzi said it speaks to the university’s involvement with the city of Fredericksburg.
“It’s a great example of working hand in hand with the city and being good neighbors,” Farrar said. “[The wood from the boardwalk] would have been put in a landfill.”
The city’s part of the removal will entail dismantling the sections and transporting them, Antozzi said.
According to Antozzi, the boardwalk will be dismantled in 40 foot sections. They will be temporarily housed in a sequestered area of Old Mill Park until the crossings are constructed and transported to their proper locations.
Starting in May, campus walk will be extended to connect with the bridge over Route 1.
“I think the walkway works best for people riding bikes, but walkers just find it too much of an convenience and choose to walk across the street,” senior Ally Campo said. “I even find myself doing that more often now.”
Antozzi said Route 1 traffic will not be negatively affected.
“They are going to remove the boardwalk on the side of Route 1,” he said. “There is no need to have any disturbance.”
The city’s estimate for the removal and transport is $30,000, according to Antozzi.
According to an Aug. 28 article in the Free Lance Star, the original price of the 500 foot boardwalk was $150,000.
