By Richard Mast

mastr@findlay.edu

The Morey Avenue bridge near the University of Findlay officially closed this week for a 120-day reconstruction project, which will temporarily reroute traffic for students, staff, and the community. This project, overseen by Hancock County Engineer Doug Cade’s office, was  supposed to take place in April but student move-out and graduation induced a schedule switch.

“The university asked us, to consider delaying the project until our graduation was over,” Cade said. “But once we talked to the contractor, they said, hey, we can do one better, we’ll just build it in the fall, because typically they can build two bridges a year of that size. So they said, we’ll move the one we were going to do in the fall to the spring and move yours to the fall.”

Cade said the bridge replacement has been years in the making and will result in a longer lasting bridge designed to better serve the community.

“We inspect all 370 bridges in Hancock County annually, and the Morey bridge had a general appraisal score of 4 out of 10,” Cade explained. “That’s considered very poor condition, which in turn means it needs to be replaced.”

The Morey Avenue Bridge had been on the county’s radar for more than a decade, with funding secured five years ago through a state managed program that helps communities replace aging infrastructure.

“We fully expect the new bridge to last 75 years or more with normal maintenance,” Cade said. “So this is a bridge or a project that will long outlast me and anyone that’s using it today for the future.”

Traffic flow on the surrounding streets has been a concern of people driving on campus, however Cade emphasized that the county’s grid-like road system minimizes any sort of disruption.

“Yes, it is an inconvenience for the next three months, however, it was necessary, because we don’t want a bridge that we have to end up closing, because it’s in severe condition.”

The University of Findlay has been involved in making sure that no conflicts arise due to this road closure. Ben Taylor, Assistant Vice President of Facility Services at the University, first learned about the project when Cade’s office reached out.

“It’s definitely going to affect everybody,” Taylor said. “It affects my maintenance crew trying to get in and around here that we have to take that route several times a day.”

The $750,000 project is getting 80% of its funding through a state-federal exchange program managed through the Ohio Department of Transportation, according to Cade.

The improvements go beyond structural stability. Cade confirmed that the bridge will be slightly wider, which will allow for safer accommodations for pedestrians. The bridge is expected to reopen in late November, just in time for the holiday season.