The bridge was built in 2000, but closed in 2015 after it deteriorated faster than expected, according to the project website.
Spring Valley Twp. trustees say that the closure significantly hampers response time by firefighters and EMS, as well as school bus routes.
But several residents who live on the road oppose the change.
Resident Devin Maloney said he had circulated a petition to his neighbors who lived near the bridge, and roughly 20 of them signed opposing the project.
Maloney further questioned the $1.8 million price tag for the bridge.
“This goes against the conservative values our county is known for,” he said.
Other residents who spoke at the commission meeting Thursday, some of whom grew emotional, said they had young children who are used to playing near what is functionally a dead-end road, and making the bridge functional again would generate a traffic hazard.
The Greene County Commissioners voted unanimously to accept the grant money, owing to a standing policy the board has of supporting Greene County’s township trustees. However, all three commissioners expressed that they were personally opposed to the idea.
“I’ve been in office for 12 years,” Koogler said. “This is only the second time that I’ve voted for something I 100% disagree with.”
The plan calls for replacing the single span weathering steel truss bridge with a galvanized steel plate girder and concrete deck. Ideas were floated at the commission meeting Thursday about inputting turnarounds for buses and other infrastructure instead of replacing the bridge, but it’s unclear if grant funds could be used for that purpose.
The next step in the process involves the project going out for bids, and there will be more public meetings as part of that process, commissioners said. If awarded, construction would begin as early as July.
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