The Ohio DOT (ODOT) this week announced that only a few weeks remain on the Clinton Street bridge construction project in downtown Defiance.
The $8.3 million project will replace a bridge which carries S.R. 15/18/66 over the Maumee River. The bridge closed Feb. 25, 2019, for approximately nine months and reopened December 2, 2019. The project is scheduled for completion in July 2020.
In the last few weeks, crews have been busy completing sidewalks, paving roads and paths, and painting the bridge. Once these are complete, the final stage of the project will be to lay a final course of asphalt on adjacent roads and stripe them.
The streets which run parallel to the Maumee River—Fort Street and River Drive—have remained closed since the project began in early 2019. In May, crews began to prepare the streets to be paved, and both roads are expected to reopen by mid to late June.
Contractors have used every dry day possible to paint the steel beams under the bridge. ODOT says many of the bridge beams have been difficult to reach in certain places.
A freshly paved shared-use path is open. The wide path is designed to easily accommodate both pedestrians and cyclists.
Installation of the railing is delayed due to a material delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A temporary wooden railing has been constructed until contractors can complete the work. The installation of permanent railing is expected to begin in late July.
Back in February, divers were surprised to discover large blocks of sandstone about 120 ft downstream from the Clinton Street bridge. The blocks had been part of a temporary bridge built in 1932 while a new bridge was under construction. After the stones were retrieved from the river bottom, ODOT inspector Tyler Gerken and Great Lakes Construction manager Mark Nash had the idea to re-purpose them, placing them along the shared-use path. ODOT says not only will the enormous blocks enhance the natural beauty of Pontiac Metro Park, but they will serve as a reminder of the city of Defiance's history with the river.
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SOURCE: Ohio DOT
