Trumbull County bridge project includes $3 million in updates

WARREN TWP., Ohio (WKBN) – Fourteen of Trumbull County’s more than 370 bridges are scheduled to be replaced or have significant rehabilitation work done in 2023.

The projects were identified years ago through the county Engineer’s Office’s annual inspection program.

“These are just aged out. These bridges are well over 40 years of age. Forty, 50, the youngest some of them are probably 70 years old. The beams have deteriorated. These are steel-beam bridges or truss bridges, where it’s just no longer feasible to continue to maintain them,” said deputy engineer Gary Shaffer.

Of those bridges, eight are being handled in-house through the Engineer’s Office Highway Department. Those projects will be paid for through local funds.

The engineering department is in charge of the other six bridge projects, which will be put out for bid. Two of those bridges are in need of complete replacements, and the other four are superstructure replacements.

Most of the cost for those projects will be covered through state and federal grant funding.

Those six bridges currently have weight restrictions.

“It’s important to obey those postings to violate that with a heavy load, you’re putting yourself at risk, putting other travelers at risk, and it’s increasing the deterioration of those bridges when you don’t obey those postings,” Shaffer said.

The total cost of all 14 bridge projects is estimated to be about $3 million. Shaffer believes a majority of the work will be completed by the end of the year.

The following work is planned:

PROJECTS HANDLED BY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT

Replacement:

Johnston Twp. – Stoddard Hayes Road

Gustavus Twp. – Gardner Barclay Road

Bloomfield Twp. – Rice Road

Bloomfield Twp. – Penniman Road

Braceville Twp. – Braceville Robinson Road

Significant culvert work:

Greene Twp. – Dennison Asthabula Road

Mesopotamia Twp. – Parks West Road

Bridge structure work: