Montgomery County Engineer Paul Gruner said the 60-year-old bridge had significant erosion damage. The bridge is technically a pike, Gruner said, but is wide enough to be considered a bridge by the state’s standards.
“We’re considering it an emergency,” Gruner said. “There is erosion on both sides of the pike.”
The bridge has been closed to through traffic for a few months already, but will reopen in December, Gruner said.
The Ohio Department of Transportation conducted a study of the area and recommended replacing the Bellefontaine bridge with a larger one to help with future erosion. Gruner said he will have a better idea of the project will do that when bids for the work come back in June.
According to county data, about 2,200 cars drive the bridge daily.
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Commissioners approved a design-build contract, which will allow the design and construction to be done under a single contract and save time.
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