As requested by the Clark County Park District, the bridge replacement project will replace the current stone-faced-metal arc bridge in George Rogers Clark Park. The bridge is located in Bethel Township and carries a park drive over an unnamed tributary of the Mad River.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
The project requires the closure of the park drive at this location during construction. However, the construction will not affect area traffic or other park activities, according to Tricia Bishop, Ohio Department of Transportation District 7 environmental coordinator.
“It will have no real impact on the park traffic. That bridge just goes to one little picnic shelter. It would just prevent vehicles from utilizing that parking area,” Bishop said.
Alternate pedestrian access is available via a pedestrian bridge south of Hosterman Lake, according to a press release.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
The existing bridge has a total pavement width of around 9 feet, which restricts the roadway to a single travel lane and precludes larger vehicle access to the north parking lot.
The park district requested bus and snowplow access to the parking lot north of the bridge.
Under the proposed alternative, the existing bridge will be replaced with a 10-foot-by-4-foot box culvert. The bridge will have an overall length of 36 feet and will offer an effective roadway width of 15 feet, according to the press release.
Environmental clearance is scheduled for Oct. 1 this year. The project is expected to begin in May 2022.
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