The following is from Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik, in her monthly news Update.
Throughout December 2012, a contractor repaired the large lakeside bridge at Seven Bridges trail in Grant Park. Many of us were alarmed at the lack of erosion controls; at the excessive removal of trees and walls to access the site; and at the road that was built to lower a back hoe to the bridge level. This was all outside the job description.
At this point, I am working with the Parks Department and engineering staff to demand the best remedy for this sad situation. Milwaukee County will not make further payments until the contractor repairs the damage, plants trees and takes other steps. We will do our best to get this rectified.
Jursik’s monthly newsletter also includes updates on the 794 extension, Mill Pond repairs, Bender Park and a variety of county issues.
South Milwaukee Blog 
A correction to the above:
The bridge has not been repaired. The ‘repair’ crew has to date (12-28-12) driven five wood pilings on the North bank of the creek. This is worth a look.
The backhoe mentioned above is medium size power shovel that moves on treads like those of a tank. It clawed a makeshift road down the South slope. Used the tank treads to go down the bank of the creek. Up the North bank. Cross the lannon stone path. Used the bucket to claw out a platform on the North hill. And then was in a position to drive five wooden pilings. So far, that is what we have. Quite a mess: damage to the hill and the lannon stone work in the area, and five wooden pilings.
We are talking about the Seven Bridges area. A local treasure built during the Great Depression. This is the bridge that crosses the creek that flows through the Seven Bridges ravine just before the creek enters the lake. The concrete supports that held up the prior bridge were washed out in one of the big rains we had several years ago. The remains of that bridge were removed at least a year ago.
To clarify a comment made by Cory, the Friends of Grant Park were recently awarded a $5,000 matching grant by a SE Wisconsin water quality agency – FoGP would match with $5K – to repair the slopes above and adjacent to the damaged bridge on the condition that bridge repair is completed this winter. The recent damage done by the equipment does indeed dwarf that of the numerous beach access footpaths established in the last two years. FoGP intends to install a vegetative cover, erosion control, and some fencing once the new bridge is in place. As I understand it, conditions as laid out thus far by County Parks are that the bridge company will be required to provide a restoration plan and materials for same prior to being compensated for the work. However, it appears that the delay in south pilings being set means that the company and parks have not agreed upon a suitable avenue of installation. Meanwhile, the bridge adjacent to the Wulff Lodge is being replaced by the same company. One would hope that Parks and the DPW are overseeing this project more ably than that of the historic Seventh Bridge replacement.
hey I feel yah are you still working those parks for WCC Wisconsin Conservation Corps and I build bridges in that park and it’s no fun so I know what you’re going through cuz I remember sitting down at the Lower Bridge looking up at the big 1 and thinking what it would be like to have to replace it and we did not relish that idea so good luck and I’m no longer in Wisconsin but I do care about that part a lot so do whatever you can take care and have good holidays thank you for posting thisinformation so that I could reply
Well, I have a better update tonight after taking the dogs for a walk down the beach. The pilings are in on and there are 3 steel beams going across the river from one side to the other. The damage to the hill has been covered up with rolls of straw/netting which should help with erosion when we get rain. This time they drove down the beach to get equipment down there (which is what I thought they would’ve done from the start). The area looks much better now and I should think it won’t be too much longer now before the bridge is complete.
On Thursday, Jan. 10th at 6:30, the bridge work will be discussed at the monthly Friends of Grant Park meeting. Meetings take place at the Golf Course Clubhouse just above the beach. All are welcome to this park advocacy group’s meetings. Questions and concerns are encouraged.