The United Veterans Council's Military Honors Team offered a gun salute. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

KELSEYVILLE – Local veterans and community members turned out Friday afternoon for the dedication of the new Veterans Bridge.

The dedication – which coincided with National Military Appreciation Month – featured local veterans organizations, among them Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion and Vietnam Veterans of America.

The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously last December to dedicate the bridge to the county's veterans.

Supervisor Rob Brown was master of ceremonies for the afternoon.

The new span crosses Kelsey Creek at Merritt Road, replacing the old low water crossing.

The new bridge replaces the old low water crossing. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

A dedication program explained that, beginning in the 1920s, low water crossings were constructed at the site, but each year they washed out. In 1985, a concrete-surfaced low water crossing was constructed as an interim measure because the Kelseyville Fire District had requested a bridge be built to provide a year-round crossing over Kelsey Creek. However, the crossing had to be closed frequently because of rising stream flows.

Beginning in May of 2000, Caltrans started soliciting participation by local agencies in the federally funded bridge replacement program, the county reported.

In 2001, the county initiated project approval and chose Quincy Engineering in 2002, but the project stalled later that year because the California Transportation Commission delayed funds until the 2006-07 fiscal year.

The project eventually was awarded to MCM Construction for just over $2.4 million, the county reported. It was funded by a combination of state and federal transportation revenues.

Guest speakers included Brad Onorato of Congressman Mike Thompson's Napa office. Onorato conveyed a message from Thompson, who had hoped to attended but was called away to travel to Iraq as part of his duties on the House Intelligence Committee.

Also speaking were Capt. Woody Hughes, US Naval Reserve (retired), and retired Public Works Director Gerald Shaul, who shared a brief history of the project.

Before the actual ribbon cutting, Brown and others who spoke defended the decision to build the bridge despite some objections raised by individuals and public servants as to the necessity of the project and the overall cost.

Supervisor Rob Brown was master of ceremonies at the event. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

Brown and Shaul cut the ribbon together, each using a military knife – one 40 years old and the other a recent presentation model.

Several vets in attendance cut small portions from the ribbon as a remembrance of the occasion.

The first vehicles to cross after the dedication were a group of motorcycles followed by a large, fully restored military truck and several antique cars and trucks.

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The bridge bears this commemorative plaque. Photo by Harold LaBonte.

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