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OTTUMWA, IOWA -- The Market Street Bridge in Ottumwa will soon be getting a facelift.

Built in the 1970’s, the bridge has seen years of wear and tear that has made it unsafe for large trucks.

“The weight limit and rating on that bridge has been reduced to about 13 tons. So you know, heavy trucks and things like that are restricted from using that bridge so it’s definitely time for replacement of the deck and that's essentially everything above the piers and the main girders,” said Tom Rodgers, Ottumwa Public Information Officer.

This will include the driving surface, the railings, and pedestrian walkways.

Once the improvements are made, the bridge should be up to contemporary standards for roadways which will allow for large trucks to travel across safely.

The project will not be much of a burden on local tax payers.

“With $2.5 million in federal and state funding coming in and about $500,000 in local funds, so we're getting a very good deal -- very attractive financial package put together for this,” said Rodgers.

Construction on the Market Street Bridge is expected to start in late 2013 and take around one year to complete. Those that normally use the bridge will have to find an alternate route.