Members of the Wil-Cox Bridge Steering Committee will host an informal public gathering at the bridge Saturday to inform visitors of the committee’s plans for the bridge and surrounding area.

The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. and last until noon. Visitors are free to come and go as they wish and will be invited to tour the nearby Fort York area with guides familiar with the site.

Former Davidson County commissioner Max Walser initially planned to host the event as a public cleanup of the bridge area and the banking underneath. Walser said the area is in much better shape than he anticipated and will instead use the event to showcase the bridge’s potential for future recreation.

Walser and his committee hope people can become invested in the bridge’s history and revive it as a tourist destination in Davidson County.

This area includes the recently preserved Historic Fort York, the Yadkin River Boat Access owned by Alcoa and the Wil-Cox Bridge, a future Davidson County Parks and Recreation facility.

The public is invited to come out for a morning of historical education, natural resource and environmental instruction and to review the initial plans for development at the historic site.

The day’s activities include narrated tours of Fort York led by local historical experts and representatives from the Land Trust for Central North Carolina, natural resource and environmental information provided by the Piedmont Triad Regional Council of Governments and the Yadkin Riverkeeper, and updates on recreation projects by the Tourism Recreation Investment Partnership and Wil-Cox Bridge Steering Committee members.

Hot dogs and refreshments will be provided at 11 a.m.

For more information, contact Chris Phelps at director@visitdavidsoncounty.com.