It’s been five
years since we’ve been able to go over the river and through the woods……but
that all changed in Elyria today, November 15 with the grand opening of the
new, grant-funded $3.1 million Ford Road Bridge. The new two-lane, 263 foot bridge is located
just north of the old bridge and was re-positioned to improve alignment with
the Lorain County MetroPark entrance to the north and the hill on the
south.
Funded by
funds from the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Ohio Public Works
Commission, the scenic gateway and short-cut to the Midway Mall area from
Elyria’s north side will improve access to commercial areas, Bur Oak Park and
residents who live in the area.
This new
structure is a much-needed improvement from the previous one-lane bridge that
was closed to traffic in December 2008 due to deteriorating conditions. The old bridge was a pony truss built in
1953. The new bridge is 33 feet wide and
is built with a clearance elevation above the Black River to withstand a 100
year rain event.
The city of
Elyria would like to thank the following individuals and organizations for
making this important project a reality:
- City of Elyria Engineering Department – with special thanks to engineer Tim Ujvari and John Schneider, asst. city engineer
- Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) District 3
- Ohio Public Works Commission
- Lorain County Engineer
- Transystems, Project Design Consultant
- KS Associates, Survey and Right of Way
- JD Williamson, Contractor
- K.E. McCartney, Construction Management
- Lorain County MetroParks
- Elyria City Council
If you
haven’t already seen the spectacular view from the new bridge, please come
check it out. Enjoy the fall foliage and
the drive through this beautiful area of our community.
Videos and a slideshow of the ceremony are below:
