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The city of Fairborn is investing nearly $150,000 to repair the Maple Avenue overpass bridge, which could shut down the bridge early next year during construction.
Fairborn recently awarded a $138,650 contract to Eagle Bridge Company to fix the Maple Avenue bridge, which carries more than 10,000 vehicles a day and runs over the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks just south of Dayton Drive.
The project will lift up the bridge, patch the concrete piers and reset the steel bearings.
Construction is expected to begin in January and be completed by April, according to Don O’Connor, the city’s engineer.
“With around 10,000 cars per day traveling over the bridge, it is crucial that the bridge is kept in excellent condition,” assistant city manager Pete Bales said. “The bridge serves as an integral north/south connector through Fairborn. It provides the necessary link for our emergency service providers to efficiently respond to the needs of our citizens.”
During construction, lane closures will be required, and a brief full bridge closure is expected, O’Connor said. The city will work with the contractor to establish a detour for motorists.
Fairborn is funding the project with the county motor vehicle license tax fund and the street levy fund. The bid came in $50,000 under budget from the original estimate.
The Maple Avenue bridge is two lanes and about 420 feet long.
“This is a very important bridge,” O’Connor said. “It’s one of the reasons we’ve been pretty aggressive in keeping up with the maintenance so we don’t have major issues in the future.”
An inspection in 2013 by a consultant revealed the issues with the steel bearings, as well as the wear and tear on some concrete areas.
There are 22 bridges in Fairborn.
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