▁one ▁t umb les ▁down ." ▁ ▁The ▁replacement ▁bridge ▁was ▁designed ▁by ▁Z enas ▁King , ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁King ▁Iron ▁Bridge ▁Company , ▁and ▁the ▁company ▁began ▁construction ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 6 . ▁The ▁bridge ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁two ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁months ▁ow ing ▁to ▁fear ▁that ▁the ▁wooden ▁structure ▁might ▁collapse . ▁Const ruction ▁cost ▁$ 7 , 5 3 2 . 2 5 ▁and ▁the ▁bridge ▁opened ▁to ▁traffic ▁in ▁late ▁September . ▁The ▁bridge ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁built ▁by ▁the ▁company . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁a ▁struct ural ▁analysis ▁of ▁the ▁bridge ▁indicated ▁that ▁the ▁wr ought ▁iron ▁was ▁in ▁good ▁shape , ▁but ▁the ▁deck ▁was ▁d eter ior ating . ▁City ▁officials ▁chose ▁to ▁re h abil itate ▁the ▁bridge ▁instead ▁of ▁replacing ▁it ▁because ▁the ▁structure ▁is ▁historic ▁and ▁further ▁study ▁showed ▁that ▁traffic ▁problems ▁would ▁be ▁ex ac erb ated ▁by ▁replacing ▁it ▁with ▁a ▁two - lane ▁structure . ▁Because ▁the ▁bridge ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁critical ▁transport ation ▁cor rid or , ▁the ▁city ▁persu aded ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁to ▁fund ▁re h abil itation , ▁even ▁though ▁the ▁project ▁would ▁not ▁meet ▁A AS HT O ▁standards . ▁The ▁project ▁was ▁approved ▁in ▁part ▁because ▁the ▁bridge ▁was ▁made ▁one - way ▁to ▁overcome ▁the ▁limitations ▁of ▁its ▁narrow ▁road way . ▁Fund ing ▁was ▁received ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁and ▁the ▁contract ▁was ▁awarded ▁to ▁low ▁bid der