The Pratts Island bridge railings are in place and almost complete.

The project to build the new cedar railings running along both sides of the bridge was put on hold over the winter after resident Paul Coulombe, who paid for the bridge reconstruction, asked Knickerbocker Group to design railings that were aesthetically pleasing, while meeting safety requirements.

Work on the wooden bridge began late last summer, with engineer Skip Rideout overseeing the project up to its final phase, other than the railings.

The bridge connecting Pratts Island to Southport has been in need of some repair for several years. With Southport voters initially planning to foot the bill of around $200,000 for a cement bridge, Coulombe stepped up and offered to cover all expenses, with the agreement that the bridge would remain wood.

Debbie Hilscher, speaking for Knickerbocker Group's Steve Malcolm, said that Malcolm met with Coulombe on Friday, April 11, to discuss final details.

Hilscher said Malcolm told her that the only things remaining to finish the job were to replace the granite blocks on the abutments at the approaches to the bridge, create a boardwalk for pedestrians, and install a mid-rail along both sides.

Final completion is expected for mid-May.