Local News

Money finally available for Sprucevale Road bridge replacement at Beaver Creek park

LISBON - The 1,700-mile Alaska Highway was finished nine months after Congress authorized its construction in 1942. It has taken 192 months just to receive final federal and state approval to replace a bridge at Beaver Creek State Park, with completion likely another 12 months away.

Columbiana County Engineer Bert Dawson told county commissioners this week he expects within a month to finally be able to seek bids for replacement of the one-lane bridge on Sprucevale Road at the Gretchen's Lock section of Beaver Creek State Park in St. Clair Township.

"It's a wild and scenic river within a state park," he told commissioners. "It was the hurdle of all hurdles to jump over, which is why it took 12 years."

Actually, the story began 16 years ago, when Dawson announced in 2002 he secured $2.8 million in federal highway funds for the bridge replacement project, which has been beset by delays due to environmental issues because the bridge spans the Middle Fork of the Little Beaver Creek, a national and state designated Wild and Scenic River.

The project involved the Ohio Department of Transportation, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, ODNR's Scenic River Program, the Federal Highway Administration and the National Park Service.

Freshwater clams were one of the endangered species found in the 100-foot section of creek impacted by the project, requiring the clams be moved to another part of the creek until the work is completed.

"They found one clam that need relocated. It cost us $17,000 (for the study) so I hope he's happy in his new home because he got the VIP treatment," Dawson said of the lone clam.

Another endangered species indigenous to the creek was the hellbender. "We did not find any hellbenders, and the price tag for that (study) was $10,000," he said.

The studies were part of the $224,000 Dawson said his office spent complying with the various regulations. The biggest delay occurred in 2011, when the National Park Service objected to Dawson's original design, which called for a single pier in he middle of the creek. The bridge had to be redesigned, with the pier be as close to creek bank as possible. That, too, was a matter of contention because they had to determine what constituted the high-water mark, which took more than a year to resolve.

The bridge also had to be designed in a way that snowmelt and rain did not drain directly into the creek. Instead a collection system will divert the stormwater and melted snow off the bridge and onto shore.

"That probably took two years to resolve," Dawson said. "Nothing happens fast when you're dealing with the federal government, bureaucrats and environmentalists."

Dawson is appreciative of the federal assistance, saying they were easy to deal with on a professional and personal level. "None of these guys are bad to deal with. The process is just crazy," he said.

The existing 150-foot steel truss bridge and metal deck will be replaced with a two-lane 175-foot concrete I-beam span. The new bridge is to be located 65 feet downstream to lessen the severity of the hairpin downhill curves that exist from both approaches.

Dawson said relocating the bridge approaches created other concerns because they had to acquire some property and cut down trees. This requires they plant two trees elsewhere for every tree that is cut down. Plus, they can only remove the trees when it is not mating season for the Indiana bat, another endangered species.

"It's not that I'm against these regulations, but some of it is just outlandish. I'm just old school and used to getting things done quickly," he said.

If everything works as expected, bids will be let this fall, with some site preparation beginning immediately. Construction will not get underway until good weather arrives in 2019. The old one-lane bridge is expected to remain open almost the entire time.

Despite the setbacks, Dawson is pleased with the end product, which will include stone abutments to make it attractive. "I think it's going to be a beautiful bridge. It's already in a beautiful location," he said.