Uplifting Proposal: Engineering couple gets engaged atop bridge's raised deck
Dan Del Tufo proposes to Julia Kallmerten on Memorial Bridge in Portsmouth, N.H., Jan. 25, 2020. (New Hampshire Department of Transportation)
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) - A pair of civil engineers took their relationship to new heights atop a New Hampshire bridge.
Dan Del Tufo arranged to have the Memorial Bridge in Portsmouth lifted to its maximum height, and that's where he surprised Julia Kallmerten with a marriage proposal — so she could, in his words, "aggravate me for the rest of my life."
She said yes.
The couple met at the University of New Hampshire, and both have worked on projects around the bridge, The Boston Globe reported Tuesday.
"This is not something we typically do, but through the description of the work they did at UNH and the work that (Julia) has done, DOT approved the request as long it could be tied to normal bridge maintenance operations," said Eileen Meaney, communications officer for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. "They were super cute, and we wish them the best."
Del Tufo said he had to make the proposal on Saturday as special as she is. He brought their families to surprise Kallmerten after the proposal.
"We walked over to the north side of the bridge after and she raised her hand up and our families started cheering," Del Tufo said.
"I'm going to think of that moment every time I see the bridge," Kallmerten said.
Editor's Note: The vertical-lift bridge, formally known as the World War I Memorial Bridge, spans the Piscataqua River between Badger's Island in Maine and Portsmouth.
Dan Del Tufo and Julia Kallmerten, both civil engineers, pose after getting engaged on Memorial Bridge in Portsmouth, N.H., Jan. 25, 2020. (New Hampshire Department of Transportation)