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South Range bridge repairs planned
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NORTH LIMA
Motorists traveling on South Range Road need to prepare for two bridge closures this spring.
The Ohio Department of Transportation is planning a $2 million construction project on South Range Road, also known as state Route 165, that will rehabilitate the bridge that crosses over state Route 11 and replace the bridge over Mill Creek.
Each bridge will be closed for a maximum of three months, and the two closures will not occur at the same time, said Justin Chesnic, ODOT District 4 spokesman.
“Practically, you’re looking at six months. The award date is in April, so it will probably get started in May, and then it should be completed by the fall,” Chesnic said.
The official detour route for South Range Road closure will use state Route 164 and state Route 46, and access to adjacent properties will be maintained at all times during construction of the project, according to ODOT.
The closures also affect Beaver Township road, fire and police departments. The road department garage is between the two bridges.
“Yes, it will affect the maintenance garage going either direction, but we have township and county roads in each direction to use,” said Road Superintendent John Spear.
Spear said he’s confident local residents will adjust their routes during the closures.
Still, “it will be an inconvenience for everybody,” he added.
The police and fire departments also are on South Range Road, near the intersection with Sharrott Road. The two bridge replacements are to the west of the departments.
Police Chief Carl Frost said the work won’t cause big problems for his staff. “We have the township broken up, and we don’t respond from the station” because cars already are out on patrol, he noted.
The fire and emergency medical vehicles, however, respond to calls from the station, said Fire Chief Russ Osborne.
“We have made some contingency plans,” he said.
One of the plans is to park a firetruck and ambulance at the South Range K-12 complex on state Route 46, which is west of the bridge over state Route 11, so that department volunteers who live on the township’s west side can easily access equipment for calls in that area, Osborne said.
He also said the township’s neighbors west of state Route 11 — Canfield, Green and Columbiana — already have aid agreements and are aware of the upcoming construction in Beaver Township.
“We’re very, very confident that we can still provide the services we need to,” Osborne said.