Work to resume on covered bridge

NEWTON FALLS -- The 1 million rehabilitation of the Newton Falls covered bridge will resume today, nine months after disputes with the original contractor caused the work to halt.
The Righter Co. of Columbus, which received a contract from the Trumbull County commissioners last month for 985,000 to complete the project, attended a pre-construction meeting Monday at the bridge.
The Righter Co. has completed 31 covered bridge projects, including new construction and renovations, according to the Trumbull County Engineer's office. It completed an award-winning project for Miami County in 2006.
Completion of the rehabilitation is expected by the end of 2007.
The first contractor, BECDIR Construction of Berlin Center, completed 31 percent of the project before disputes resulted in a lawsuit by BECDIR against the county, and the termination of the contract with BECDIR in October 2006.
A 1.06 million federal construction grant obtained in 2002 through the County Engineers Association of Ohio is paying for the work.