Mantua – Last Friday, December 19th, Mantua Village received a very special gift when the High Street bridge was re-opened to traffic, just in time for the holidays. Randy Barker, from MS Consultants; Anthony Zumbo and Mickey Marozzi from the Portage County Engineers Office; and Mantua Mayor Linda Clark were present to commemorate the event.
This was a county project, part of the Ohio Bridge Partnership Program (OBPP). The OBPP is a 100% federally funded program created to address deficiencies in Ohio’s County and Municipal Bridges. Through this program, $120 million dollars will be allocated to repair nearly 220 bridges throughout Ohio. To qualify for this program, a bridge must be 20 feet or longer, currently open to traffic, and are rated as structurally deficient.
Originally scheduled for completion in fiscal year 2017, the project was moved up, to Mayor Clark’s delight. “We’re glad to see it completed this year,” she acknowledged. Mr. Zumbo added, “This was not a typical project for us,” noting the potential for delays due to weather, utilities, and funding. “Luckily, the stars seemed to align throughout the process,” he joked. He acknowledged that the Mayor made many calls and, “rattled some chains,” to move the project forward early.
The bridge was closed on September 28th for what was estimated 75 days. Unseasonably warm weather allowed crews to pour the bridge deck on November 30th, which aided project completion in 2015, in spite of delays due to utility issues. It was completed at a cost of $859,419.00.
The High Street Bridge spans the Cuyahoga River near Village Park in Mantua. The Norton Road Bridge, located in Hiram Township, will be the next structure repaired as a part of the OBPP in early 2016.
