On Tuesday evening, the City of Erlanger celebrated the painting of the underpass adjacent to the Railroad Depot that overlooks Dixie Highway.
After years of advocating from many community members and council members, the bridge’s repainting feels like a transformational and philosophical moment 28 years in the making for the city, said Mayor Jessica Fette.
“There are hurdles in every situation and it’s being persistent, it’s seeing that goal at the end and understanding what we’re here to accomplish [and] why we’re accomplishing it,” she said.
By doing projects such as repainting the underpass, Fette said they aim to better the quality of life in Erlanger for citizens, business owners, and surrounding areas in the hope of exponential growth over the next several years. The city hopes, with potential growth from projects like the repainting of the bridge, to see increased property values, which would give them more resident tax dollars for projects.
Fette personally thanked a handful of people heavily involved in the project, such as City Administrator Peter Glenn, Director of Public Works Kevin Quinn, and Project Manager Ed Millican, who is retiring this fall after 25 years on the job.
Councilwoman Vicki Kyle also thanked Fette for her persistence in making something she had been asking for for years come true.
“I wanted this bridge painted years ago and I was told no you can’t do that,” said Kyle. “But yet here we are today [and] it is being done. I told Jessica [Fette] you’re fulfilling my dreams that I’ve had since the beginning.”