The new Isa Street Bridge is open and taking traffic.
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The new $7m Isa St Bridge which replaced the 1932 structure demolished in May, was formally opened with a grand ceremony which attracted several hundred residents to the area on Friday night.
William Blackley gave a welcome to country followed by a performance by the Sundowner dancers.
Mayor Joyce McCulloch said it was a new piece of history for the city.
"While most of us took the old bridge for granted, we must acknowledge the history of this structure and what it meant for Mount Isa," Cr McCulloch said.
"Once in place it enabled the exponential growth of the mining industry by serving as a gateway between the town and the mine."
Father Mick Lowcock blessed the new bridge before the Mayor cut the ribbon. After the speeches there was a parade of 25 vehicles across the bridge led by Tony Locke's Dodge Ram.
Mr Locke won first place in the parade in a lottery and admitted he was nervous but very proud to be part of history.
The history of the old Isa Street Bridge was honoured with a magnificent sculpture was installed at the Eastern approach of the bridge depicting a child and miner from the 1930's looking over to the mine.
Barcaldine-based sculptor Mylinda Rogers said the work was a symbolic nod to the location where fathers would walk with their children to the bridge before they went to work at the mine, and the place where the kids would greet them on their return home.
The sculpture is made from pieces of the old bridge and Cr McCulloch said the sculpture paid homage to the hard work of the early pioneers who contributed to laying the foundations of Mount Isa.
"The sculpture encapsulates everything perfectly - the history and the people of Mount Isa, and the importance of the location of the bridge between the mine and the city," she said.
"The actual frame of the sculpture is the steel reinforcements from the old bridge foundation and the infill materials, which forms the body of the sculpture, is the concrete rubble from the old bridge abutment."
One of the posts from the old bridge has been preserved and installed on the new structure.
The post was traditionally an unofficial floodwater level indicator locals used to determine if it was still safe to cross.
READ ALSO: How we celebrated Christmas in the Isa
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