Post by Todd B on Oct 3, 2008 12:51:48 GMT -5
Article published at MonroeNews.com on Oct 3, 2008
Ida Center Rd. bridge to be fixed this year
The Ida Center Rd. bridge will be replaced this fall so the road can be opened to traffic again.
Ida Township officials signed a contract with the Monroe County Road Commission to fix the bridge that was closed June 23 after a road engineer said the bridge was not structurally sound.
Road commission crews will replace the bridge with a concrete box culvert over Duck Pond Drain. There will also be some asphalt paving on approaches to the bridge.
Supervisor Ron Iott said getting it open again was a high priority for local and county officials. He and county Commissioner Dale Zorn had been negotiating with the road agency since the road was closed to get the project going.
He said the road commission had told him that it didn't have enough money to repair the bridge.
Mr. Iott said that wasn't acceptable to local authorities.
"It's a priority because there's a lot of traffic on that road," Mr. Iott said Thursday.
"It's a main connector with the south county. It's critical to get it back up because of the school buses, trucks and local traffic that use that road. It's been an inconvenience for everybody."
The bridge is located between Geiger and Minx Rds. about 13/4 miles east of Lewis Ave.
The project will cost about $84,000, with the township paying $30,000 toward the effort, said Scott Assenmacher, county highway engineer for the road commission.
"It's going to be a challenge to get it done" before November, Mr. Assenmacher said Thursday. "We're working on other projects like W. Seventh St. and have to get it done before the asphalt plants close. There's not been a lot of paving work, so they may close early."
Mr. Iott said the $30,000 will come from unspent road funds in the township.
He said he has received a lot of phone calls about the closing from residents in the area who have been forced to follow detours around the site.
The owner of a party store at Lewis and Ida Center turned in a petition last month urging the road commission to repair the bridge. The petition, containing about 450 signatures, said the business has suffered because of the detour.
Ida Center Rd. bridge to be fixed this year
The Ida Center Rd. bridge will be replaced this fall so the road can be opened to traffic again.
Ida Township officials signed a contract with the Monroe County Road Commission to fix the bridge that was closed June 23 after a road engineer said the bridge was not structurally sound.
Road commission crews will replace the bridge with a concrete box culvert over Duck Pond Drain. There will also be some asphalt paving on approaches to the bridge.
Supervisor Ron Iott said getting it open again was a high priority for local and county officials. He and county Commissioner Dale Zorn had been negotiating with the road agency since the road was closed to get the project going.
He said the road commission had told him that it didn't have enough money to repair the bridge.
Mr. Iott said that wasn't acceptable to local authorities.
"It's a priority because there's a lot of traffic on that road," Mr. Iott said Thursday.
"It's a main connector with the south county. It's critical to get it back up because of the school buses, trucks and local traffic that use that road. It's been an inconvenience for everybody."
The bridge is located between Geiger and Minx Rds. about 13/4 miles east of Lewis Ave.
The project will cost about $84,000, with the township paying $30,000 toward the effort, said Scott Assenmacher, county highway engineer for the road commission.
"It's going to be a challenge to get it done" before November, Mr. Assenmacher said Thursday. "We're working on other projects like W. Seventh St. and have to get it done before the asphalt plants close. There's not been a lot of paving work, so they may close early."
Mr. Iott said the $30,000 will come from unspent road funds in the township.
He said he has received a lot of phone calls about the closing from residents in the area who have been forced to follow detours around the site.
The owner of a party store at Lewis and Ida Center turned in a petition last month urging the road commission to repair the bridge. The petition, containing about 450 signatures, said the business has suffered because of the detour.