A small piece of infrastructure has appeared along Main Street.
A little bridge, only a couple of feet long and wide enough for a person to walk over, has been placed over a puddle on a section of sidewalk at East 18th Avenue and Main, allowing people to step over the water and muddy grass.
The puddle appeared earlier this year, as the property next to the sidewalk was redeveloped. The bridge surfaced in mid-December, thanks to local metal fabricator Keenan Domerecki.
"I'm always having to jump over the puddle," he tells V.I.A. "I thought it'd be funny to make the little bridge."
Domerecki is the owner-operator of Keenzo Metal Fabrication, which specializes in custom metalwork, from loft ladders to motorcycles. Because of this, he ends up with a lot of extra wood.
"Instead of taking it to the dump, I thought, 'Why not make a little bridge and try to make some laughs?'" he says.
He notes that with a background in fabrication and a shop full of tools, making a simple, small, structurally sound bridge was easy enough. He made it narrow enough so people could still get past it with strollers or wheelchairs, or if they don't want to use the bridge.
He even added a little toll to it, with a can to collect the cash. The "toll" is $8.57, a number that is as wildly specific as it is unimportant.
"Everything on that bridge is just something that makes me giggle," Domerecki says.
He didn't know what to expect but he's been pleased with the response. There's already a wear pattern, showing how many people use it. While on the scene, V.I.A. noted a majority of people walking that section of sidewalk used the bridge to pass the puddle and the adjacent grass/mud patch.
Living nearby, Domerecki has gotten to watch people enjoy it. He's checked in on the toll can, too, and found cold hard cash in it.
"We're at $10," he says, noting he plans on donating whatever is collected.
There was also a button.
"You have to imagine some kid put a button in there, and that's adorable," he says.
How long will it last?
Domerecki isn't sure how long the bridge will stay in place. He built it to be sturdy and handle regular use, going so far as to torch it to seal it against the elements, so it's unlikely to break down.
"It's not going to collapse," he says. "I don't want anyone getting hurt."
He didn't bolt it to the ground or anything, so it could be stolen. And he didn't get permission from the city, so it may be removed.
But for now, it's something he hopes brings a little fun to those walking along Main Street.
"We don't have enough of those little tiny things in the city that make you giggle," he says.
