Woodland Cemetery is still without a bridge connecting the entrance to Ironton.

Friday, February 08, 2002

Woodland Cemetery is still without a bridge connecting the entrance to Ironton.

City Engineer Joe McCallister said the bridge project, which was slated to go to bid in early January, still hasn’t received the go-ahead from the Ohio Department of Transportation.

McCallister said the bridge’s design has received approval from ODOT’s central office but has not yet been put to bid.

McCallister said he is surprised the project has taken this long because plans were sent to the state agency in July of last year.

McCallister said once ODOT puts the project up for sale, it will take three months to bid and a possible eight months for construction.

Kathleen Fuller, the public information officer for ODOT’s District 9 said ODOT was waiting for some of the final bridge aspects to come in before setting the project out to bid. Fuller said this was part of the process and it "takes time" to start construction on the project.

The money for the project, however, is in place. The cost for designing the bridge, about $100,000, was paid by the cemetery board and $10,000 was financed by the city. The board could receive reimbursement from funds administered by ODOT. The cemetery trustees have learned this project is first in line to receive monies if other projects ODOT funds comes in under budget.

The cost for the actual construction has also received funding from ODOT and KYOVA Interstate Planning Committee. Money from the state’s Small City Local Bridge Fund will cover 80 percent of the construction with the remaining 20 percent coming from Surface Transportation Program monies from KYOVA.

The bridge’s specifications call for a light colored, sandstone bridge that will tie in with the color scheme already present in the cemetery. The bridge will also have a wrought iron rail and flag holders along the railing.

Motorist have not been able to use the current bridge for about three years.