Ohio Department of Transportation’s plan to remove the Interstate 75 bridges north of State Route 103, just outside Bluffton, is on hold.
CLICK HERE to read about the April hearing in Bluffton
In April ODOT held an information meeting in the Bluffton town hall. The meeting revealed ODOT’s plan to completely remove the twin bridges over the abandoned railroad.
However, in June a letter to stakeholders ODOT wrote:
“ODOT has since determined that, regardless of the option chosen, further coordination is required with the Railroad. As such, a decision on how we will move forward is on hold while that coordination is being conducted.”
Slated for 2021, the project intended to have a complete removal of the twin bridges and reconstruction of the pavement over the abandoned railroad.
The bridges were constructed to cross the Akron, Canton and Youngstown Railroad when the Interstate and Route 25 bypass went around Bluffton. The northbound bridge was built in 1954. The southbound bridge was built in 1964. The railroad was abandoned in the 1980s.
Ohio Department of Transportation estimates the cost to replace the existing bridges is $3 million. There are additional costs for annual maintenance and inspection. The $3 million does not include the cost to maintain traffic during construction.
ODOT officials reported that 29,000 vehicles pass Bluffton on the interstate each day, with 3,000 vehicles traveling on State Route 103 at the interstate. Compare that to County Road 33, which travels under the interstate at the bridges. ODOT’s count there is 33 vehicles per day.
During the meeting in April, ODOT stated it planned for a possible public hearing in June or July of this year. Officials said that a decision on the project was expected by July.
A feasibility study was to take place in September and depending upon funding, the project was projected to be awarded in the winter of 2020.
