Sunday, November 30, 2003
The chief wants to see an example of the spill containment system.
By IAN HILL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- Fire Chief Andrew Frost wants to know whether the state is willing to discuss revising its plans to replace the Interstate 80 bridges over the Meander Reservoir.
"Is it open for negotiations? I don't know," he said.
Frost recently sent a letter to Mohamed Darwish, deputy director of the Ohio Department of Transportation's District 4, expressing concerns and asking questions about the project. He said he is worried that emergency vehicles won't have access to the bridges and that the new driving lanes and shoulders will be too narrow for firetrucks and ambulances.
ODOT has proposed building two three-lane bridges across the reservoir for $68 million. The new crossing would replace two two-lane bridges.
Safety issues
The state's proposal also calls for the construction of a staging area for emergency vehicles at the west end of the bridge and a chemical-spill containment system along the sides of each bridge.
ODOT officials also have said that the state may maintain a traffic crossover at each end of the bridge to address safety concerns. If there were an accident on one of the bridges, emergency officials could use the crossover to divert traffic to the other bridge.
Local officials are worried that a major accident could block access to the bridge and delay efforts to clean up chemical spills in the reservoir, which serves as the water supply for about 300,000 people.
Frost also wrote in his letter that he wants to see examples of how the spill containment system has been used in other communities. He also suggests building staging areas at both ends of the bridges.
No comment yet
ODOT Spokeswoman Jennifer Richmond said Frost's letter arrived at the District 4 offices on Wednesday and that Darwish has not had a chance to read it. Richmond added that ODOT officials want to make sure Frost gets a written response to his letter before they comment publicly on his concerns.
Frost said he doesn't want to argue with ODOT over the project yet.
"There's no sense is starting World War III yet," he said.
He added, however, that he doubts local residents will want a new bridge that doesn't address protection of the reservoir.
"I don't think the people in out Valley will stand for it," Frost said.
The new bridge proposal was unveiled by state officials last month. Local officials had criticized ODOT's first proposal, which had called for the construction of a causeway, because it did not include access lanes for emergency vehicles. The causeway proposal was scrapped earlier this year after ODOT determined it would cost nearly $100 million.
The new ODOT proposal also does not include emergency access lanes.
ODOT is planning to start work on the new bridges in 2006.
hill@vindy.com