The old bridge carried about 16,000 vehicles a day when it closed in June 2008. The new bridge will be wider, with four westbound lanes instead of two.
Steve Finke, Dayton’s assistant director of public works, cautioned Monday, Sept. 28, that the optimistic timetable is still subject to the whims of fall weather.
“We don’t need any more weeks like we had last week, because the rain can hamper what we get done,” Finke said. “We’ve still got a lot of work to do in the next couple of months.”
If the weather cooperates, the bridge should open the second week of December, Finke said. Workers are pouring the deck and will begin work on the sidewalks, railing and lighting after the deck is complete, he said.
LED lights that can change color will be installed into the bridge’s piers, and not just for festive reasons: the life of the LED lights is 13 to 15 years, the public works official said.
The widening and landscaping of Stewart between the bridge and Brown Street is progressing ahead of schedule; the portion between Patterson Boulevard and Main Street may reopen fully in late October or early November, and the portion between Main and Brown streets could be completed by mid- to late November, Finke said.
Rick Perales, director of UD’s campus planning, said the bridge and street improvements will create a gateway for the university.
“This will be the kind of an entrance experience we want for our students, parents and other visitors,” Perales said.
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