New Neighbor

For Immediate Release

 

World famous London Bridge to get a neighbor

 

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. – One of the world's most famous bridges may soon be getting a neighbor thanks to the efforts of a group of volunteers known as the Freedom Bridge Foundation.

 

The Freedom Bridge Committee has big ideas that when they come to fruition, will add a memorial walkway complete with historical essays written by school children, statues memorializing veterans from various conflicts, a park complete with fountains, memorials, an amphitheatre and more, and an enhanced new bridge next door to the already famous London Bridge. 

 

Few people haven't heard of the London Bridge, as it's "falling down" has been the subject of nursery school song since we were children. Many people even know that the London Bridge was purchased by Robert McCulloch, the famed chainsaw magnate, and relocated to the Arizona deserts in Lake Havasu City. Now efforts are underway to give that bridge a neighbor.

 

The London Bridge has stood in Lake Havasu City since 1971 as a testament to American ingenuity and creativity. It also serves as one of Arizona's most popular tourist attractions, boasting over 2 million visitors a year.

 

With that popularity, however, came increased traffic. Over 10,000 cars a day use the span to get to the hotels, restaurants and boat launch facilities located on the Island. Busy holiday weekends can triple that load, making the need for better access paramount.

 

"The city has known of the need for years and has been planning for years the addition of a second bridge to the island not only to take traffic off the London Bridge but to provide better traffic flow on and off the island," said city spokesperson Charlie Cassens.

 

"The London Bridge is a critical connection point, and if there were an incident blocking access to the bridge, people on the island could be stranded," he said.

 

As a result of increased need for a second bridge, city officials commissioned plans for a second bridge to increase access to the island. "Being that this is a project funded through tax dollars, the city commissioned a design for a traditional, overpass style of bridge," Cassens said.

 

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That's where the Freedom Bridge Committee comes in. They are a group of volunteers who organized to do something special with the city's bridge plans. When it became evident that the scale of the ideas being generated was going to require ample fundraising efforts, the group created the Freedom Bridge Foundation to handle that aspect. Money is now being raised, mostly through the sale of memorial bricks that will create the memorial walkway, to make the bridge more than just an overpass, but a tribute, and a work of art worth of being placed next to the London Bridge.

 

"When we first started, the idea was to create a second bridge that was comparable in scope to the London Bridge, something that could not overshadow it, but compliment it as an additional attraction," said Gary Meyers, Chairman of the Freedom Bridge Committee.

 

"What resulted from those discussions was a plan of tremendous proportions that will not only add to the bridge the city builds, but also a Freedom Park, with memorials, a visitor center and much more."

 

The money for these improvements will come not from tax dollars, but from the sale of memorial bricks, that will make a walkway from the London Bridge to the new Freedom Bridge. While construction for the new bridge is still a year or two off, brick sales have already begun, and the walkway has been started.

 

"Interest in this project has been incredible," said Brian Wedemeyer, President of the Freedom Bridge Foundation, himself a veteran and a City Councilman in Lake Havasu City. "We've sold a tremendous amount of bricks considering the project just kicked off, and have received endorsements and letters of support from governors, state and federal legislators and more. The support for this kind of project, which honors our fighting men and women, without adding to the tax burden while creating revenue, is monumental."

 

Tourism officials agreed that the project would attract dollars to the city. "The scope of the project is very appealing," said Jarrod Lyman, vice president of the Lake Havasu City Convention and Visitors Bureau. "This project can be just as big to the city as the London Bridge is, and that is what put us on the map," he said.

 

The Freedom Bridge Foundation lists their objectives of the project as enhancing public access and safety with the second bridge, positively influencing economic vitality of the channel area, creating a memorial to freedom, all without adding an additional burden to the taxpayer.

 

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For more information:

Larry Robinson

Executive Director

Freedom Bridge Foundation

 

 

 

Gary Meyers
www.HavasuFreedomBridge.com
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