COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A ramp off the proposed $80 million Ironton-Russell Bridge is not feasible and very costly, an official with the Ohio Department of Transportation told Ironton and Lawrence County officials Thursday.
Local officials have asked the department to consider building a ramp off the new bridge to open up 67 acres of industrial property for economic development in the 1st Street of area south of the Norfolk & Southern railroad tracks. Officials said the property could be development to bring high-paying industrial jobs to a community sorely in need of such jobs.
Ralph Kline, assistant executive director of the Ironton Lawrence County Area Community Action Organization, said since the bridge project is in redesign, now would be a good time to ask the department to consider building such a ramp.
"It wouldn't slow down the project," he said. "It would create economic development opportunities. We have a major industry looking at 31 of those 67 acres."
Kline was among more than a dozen people participating in the 16th Annual Chamber of Commerce legislative Day in the state capitol. The Greater Lawrence County Area Chamber of Commerce brought several dozen community leaders to three separate meetings in Columbus Thursday. One of those meetings was with Ohio Department of Transportation representatives.
Putting in such a ramp, which would have to be built over the railroad tracks would significantly increase the cost of the project at a time the department is trying to scale back the cost of the bridge project, said Gary E. Cochenour, production administrator for the department's District 9 office.
"It would cost $8 million to $10 million," he said. "It's very costly and not feasible for this project." A ramp off the bridge also could require a stoplight, something that's against the department's design policies, he said.
The department has moved up the start of the construction on the new bridge from 2013 to 2012. The initial bridge plans were scaled back with the bridge design cost estimate reached $90 million and the bids came in at more than $100 million.
Ironton Mayor Rich Blankenship was happy with the bridge project being moved up. The city also can pursue efforts to get access to the 67-acre parcel. "We want to see that area opened up for development," he said.
The bridge project is on budget and plans for the bridge should be complete in about 18 months, Cochenour said.
Plans also are on track to start a $1.38 million bridge rehabilitation project on the 86-year-old Ironton-Russell Bridge starting July 1. The work is to be finished by Oct. 31 and will require some daytime closure of the two-lane bridge. The contract also allows the bridge to be closed for up to 60 days.
The department also is planning a $10.9 million repaving of sections of U.S. 52 in the Ironton area starting this year as part of a two-year project, Cochenour said. Both projects will impact traffic in Ironton this year, he said.
7-day Archive
