By MARY MUSIC
RUSSELL — The Ohio Department of Transportation expected renovations on the Ironton-Russell Bridge to begin this month, but the livelihood of some of Ironton’s feathered friends took precedence over the project.
The $1.2 million preservation project, delayed for the second time, is now slated for the summer months to avoid the nesting season of peregrine falcons that live on the bridge.
Officials with ODOT and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources were concerned about the effect the project could have on the habitat of the peregrine falcons, a protected bird species in Ohio that nests on the bridge from mid-March to early June.
Officials were also concerned about the safety of its workers. The falcons can become aggressive if threatened.
After streamlining the rehabilitation project bid request to get a better price, ODOT awarded the $1.2 million bid for the project to Armstrong Steel Erector, an Ohio-based construction company. But since the start date has been pushed from a previous expected completion date in July to October 31, ODOT must rebid the project again, ODOT spokeswoman Kathleen Fuller said. ODOT anticipates rebidding the project in April.
In a press release, ODOT District 9 Deputy Director James Brushart reported pushing the project back will not pose a safety hazard for motorists who use the bridge.
“ODOT is committed to environmental stewardship,” he said. “Our citizens demand a high-quality transportation system, put in place with sensitivity to the environment.”
Officials will discuss “renewed efforts” to limit the amount of heavier truck traffic on the bridge. Over the years, weight limits on the bridge have been reduced numerous times.
The rehabilitation project is geared toward maintaining the bridge until another bridge can be constructed.
Plans to build a new bridge are still on schedule, ODOT reported. The U.S. Coast Guard approved design plans that allow Ohio to place a second tower in the Ohio River, which would provide a more economical and symmetrical design of the new bridge. The original design plans called for a single tower that cost more money and, with an option of building two towers in the river, ODOT now has the opportunity for various other bridge designs, Fuller said.
ODOT expects to have final design plans for the replacement project completed by the summer of 2009.
The Ironton-Russell Bridge, spanning the Ohio River between Ironton, Ohio, and Russell, opened to traffic in 1922.
In 2006, the lowest bid to build a new bridge was more than $109 million, about 28 percent more than the $85 million estimated by ODOT.
MARY MUSIC can be reached at mmusic@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2657.
