By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Motorists who already find the Waterville bridge over the Maumee River to be a headache will want to steer clear of the area starting next week.
The bridge between Wood and Lucas counties will be closed starting Monday, June 11, for an estimated 45 days. During that time, the three-way stop on the Wood County side of the bridge will be turned into a roundabout.
“Everything is weather dependent,” said Kelsie Hoagland, public information specialist with ODOT District 2. “I think they built that schedule with that in mind.”
The Ohio Department of Transportation is replacing the structure with a wider bridge. The project will also include the installation of the roundabout at the Ohio 64-Ohio 65 intersection in Wood County, plus dedicated left turn lanes in both directions at the Ohio 64/Mechanic Street and River Road intersection on the Waterville side.
The new bridge will have one 12-foot driving lane in each direction with 4-foot shoulders; one protected 12-foot shared use path on the north side/downstream; and one protected 7-foot sidewalk on the south side/upstream.
The bridge will also have five observation platforms, lighting and see-through railings.
The decision to build the new bridge south/upstream of the existing structure was based upon multiple factors including environmental and historical considerations, cost, public opinion and length of closure, according to ODOT.
The project is being built for $13 million by Miller Brothers Construction Inc.
The physical work on the site began in February with the clearing of trees and building a portion of the causeway from the Wood County side.
The roundabout construction is scheduled to be complete by August.
Then in 2019, the building of the bridge from the Lucas County side will start. The bridge is expected to be completed in the fall of 2019. A weekend closure will be needed, from 7 p.m. on a Friday to 6 a.m. on a Monday, to complete the pavement tie-in of the new bridge.
Demolition of the old Waterville bridge is expected to be completed in the fall of 2020.
According to ODOT, the bridge closure this summer was scheduled to accommodate school schedules.
Roads will be open for the annual Roche de Boeuf Festival in Waterville, and the Applebutter Festival in Grand Rapids. And access to homes along the project will be maintained during the project.
ODOT’s plan is to construct and remove half the bridge at a time in order to maintain half the river for marine traffic.
