Alpena, MichiganLocal Weather Alerts
There are currently no active weather alerts.

Island Park Bridge Dedicated With a Lighting Ceremony

The Island Park Bridge was finally dedicated yesterday with a lighting ceremony. The wooden crafted bridge that replaced the old bridge connects Island Park and Duck Park to the Alpena wildlife sanctuary…

Honoring Mike Kendziorski and volunteers, residents of Alpena and visitors celebrated the completed bridge.

City manager of Alpena, Greg Sundin said the bridge is the face of Alpena and brings visitors to the city.

“It is the face of Alpena. It’s what people remember when they come here now and so it’s had huge impact and it’s just been tremendous. We have more visitors here now at the park then we generally ever had simply because of that bridge,” Sundin said.

Sundin also said the bridge has brought the community together.

“You have weddings down here. They have wedding photos, graduation photos or prom…people come down for pictures. It has simply brought a lot of people down and then on to the island.

A lot of people have never been on the island, and now come on to the island because that bridge just brings them, and draws them in. So it has a huge impact that way, but I think even more that it’s the fact of how the bridge was constructed. The community…support of the community involvement and that was a big thing, and that’s what mike wanted to do…was to make it a community project, and I think that will lead to such other projects in the future,” he finished.

The bridge was completed this time last year.

Island Park Bridge will also be getting a new name, called “Mighty Mike.”