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OTTUMWA, IOWA -- Ottumwa is known as the City of Bridges, in-fact we have quite a few of them. This past week city engineers closed down two of the busiest, the Market Street Bridge and the Jefferson Street Viaduct. They were closed for routine safety inspections.

We all remember the I-35 bridge collapsing in Minneapolis back in 2007 - We'll there is something that bridge and the Jefferson Street Viaduct have in common - they are the same design.

Public Works Director Larry Seals took KTVO out onto the Des Moines River for a first hand look at what our busiest bridges look like underneath.

Seals had good things to say about the bridge.

"It's in good shape. It's going to need some general maintenance. It like all bridges has pack rust, needs from time to time regular maintenance and some painting. Just the standard stuff you have to do to bridges," said Seals.

A few months ago - the city set aside a good amount of money to inspect these bridges.  According to Seals, the city spent over $17,000 during these inspections.

Seals, his team, and the city are concerned about the Market Street Bridge.  The bridge is safe, but it is old.

"They keep a close eye on that bridge. It's deck itself is reaching the end of it's useful life. We're hoping to get another three to four years our of that deck," said Seals.

"It's on the bridge replacement program. It's a point system that the state uses to determine how you get funding for a bridge. The problem with that current program it has a million dollar cap and is estimated to be worth 3 million dollars to move that deck and put a new one on. The city has gone to the legislature to get a direct appropriation for that bridge.