DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A riverfront amphitheater that draws thousands of people to downtown Des Moines will close for two years to accommodate the construction of a bridge. The Simon Estes Amphitheater will be closed from 2019-20, the Des Moines Register reported.

Bridge construction is expected to start August and estimated to cost up to $9 million. The new bridge will replace the downtown Locust Street bridge. No events will take place at the city-managed amphitheater during construction, said Ben Page director of Des Moines Parks and Recreation. “There’s not going to be any parking down there,” Page said. “(It’d be a) dusty, dirty mess.

The 2018 Nitefall on the River concert series, is typically held at the amphitheater and the nearby Brenton Skating Plaza. Construction won’t cause any of this year’s events to be relocated, said Tim Leach, the senior vice president of downtown development for the Des Moines Partnership, which manages the plaza.

“We don’t think any of these closures are going to affect (Nitefall),” Leach said.
This year’s concert series includes performances by Turnpike Troubadours, Lake Street Dive, Arch Allies and The Nadas.

The performances will be hosted at the skating plaza full-time when the amphitheater closes for construction, Leach said.