Dayton’s Third Street bridge wins outstanding short span award

Dayton’s Third Street bridge, also known as the Peace Bridge, was honored by the Association of Bridge Construction and Design last month.

The bridge won the 2021 Outstanding Short Span Roadway Bridge award on March 31 during the ABCD’s meeting at the Montgomery Inn in Cincinnati.

“Our Peace Bridge, also known as the Third Street bridge, was such an important project,” said Montgomery County Engineer Paul Gruner. “It took a massive team effort and much community input over several years. We felt like we did it right, and it is gratifying to learn that this prestigious organization agrees.”

Members of the Montgomery County team responsible for the award-winning Third Street bridge project pose for a photo at the Montgomery Inn. Pictured from left to right are David Shields, Bing Davis, Brian Snyder, Joseph Dura, Paul Gruner, Sean Wade, Brady Bates, Scott Brown, Richard “Rock” Frantz, John Knoff and Rachel Bates. Photo courtesy the Montgomery County Engineer's Office.

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After two years of construction, the bridge reopened in late 2021. The $17 million project was the largest and most expensive completed by the Montgomery County Engineer’s Office, Gruner previously said.

The engineer’s office called the a symbol of unity in Dayton.

“Adorned with images of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Paul Lawrence Dunbar and the Wright Brothers, the bridge is a centerpiece in the annual Martin Luther King Day March, as people traverse the span from west Dayton into downtown Dayton,” a press release read.

Gruner, project manager Joe Dura, project inspector Brian Snyder and bridge engineer David Shields represented the county during the ABCD meeting. Representatives from Stantec Consulting Services, Inc., Eagle Bridge Company and other design team members Bing Davis and LJB, Inc., also attended. Aesthetic consultant Steven Weitzman of Creative Design Resolutions, Inc., also received a plaque, but was unable to attend.

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