DELTA — The dedication of a historic landmark replica will be just one of the events during the annual Delta Days celebration this weekend.

After the 9 a.m. church service on Sunday (which will be held at the bridge replica site, next to the water tower in the downtown area), the new bridge will be christened.

“We are going to break a bottle of Skunk River water, since that is where the old bridge was located,” said Delta resident Dixie Shipley “It sat over North Skunk River.”

Newell Hart will be a guest speaker for the bridge dedication.

“His ancestors were involved with the original architecture of the original bridge,” Shipley said. “Then the floor will be opened up for people to express memories and feelings about the old bridge. It will be kind of like a forum type thing.”

Though people can walk in the bridge and look at the architecture, they are not able to walk through it.

“Only one side is opened up,” Shipley said.

The bridge replica took roughly three months to construct. A former Delta resident, Mike Gatton, who now lives in What Cheer, is the one who constructed the replica for the town. It has the same arch and structure as the original bridge that was destroyed by arson on Sept. 3, 2003.

The replica cost around $5,000 to construct. Nearly $3,000 came from the Keokuk County Endowment Fund and the rest was through private donations. Officials will add landscaping around the bridge at a later date.

“It’s a historical symbol because our bridge was unique,” Shipley said. “It was on National Register of Historic Places. It was built in 1869.”

The town was known for the arch in the bridge which was the only one of its kind west of the Mississippi River.

“I like it a lot,” Shipley said, referring to the replica. “The design is the same, but it’s not built to scale. [Gatton] did a wonderful job. He put lot of thought into it and very good workmanship.”

But the dedication is only one part of the Delta Days celebration.

Saturday will kick off with the Covered Bridge Run at 8 a.m. (5K, 1-mile and 2-mile runs).

The fastest 5K male and female will receive a trophy. The fastest 1 mile runner 12 and under will also receive a trophy. All entrants receive a T-shirt with a picture of the old covered bridge. For information on the run, call Shipley at (641) 660-7848.