Work To Replace and Upgrade West 5th Avenue Bridge Over Scioto River To Begin August 6
The West 5th Avenue Bridge over the Scioto River between
Dublin Road and McKinley Avenue will close on Thursday, August 6, 2015, weather
permitting, prior to demolition of the bridge.
The demolition work will clear the way for construction of a new,
upgraded bridge that will safely accommodate motor vehicles, pedestrians and
bicyclists.
“We are investing in a
new bridge that will increase safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists
for decades to come,” said Mayor Michael B. Coleman. “This project will add sidewalk and a shared
use path where none currently exist on a busy street.”
The new bridge will be widened to allow for the addition of:
- A sidewalk along the north side of West 5th
Avenue between Dublin Road and McKinley Avenue that will also extend across the
new bridge.
- A Shared Use Path for bicycles and pedestrians
along the south side of West 5th Avenue that will also extend across
the new bridge. The Shared Use Path will
serve as a section of the Scioto Trail Bikeway project, and will link to the
Shared Use Path along the east side of Dublin Road, south from West 5th
Avenue.
- A fourth vehicle lane will serve as a dedicated
eastbound left turn lane onto northbound Dublin Road.
- Curbs and gutters, street lighting and street
trees on both sides of West 5th Avenue between Dublin Road and
McKinley Avenue. The street lighting
will extend onto the new bridge.
- A new, upgraded traffic signal on mast arms at
the intersection of Dublin Road and West 5th Avenue.
“This new bridge will
help connect communities in the safest way possible,” said Councilmember
Shannon G. Hardin, chair of the Public Service and Transportation Committee.
“Repairing our existing infrastructure is critical to the life of the City, and
I am excited that we have a contractor committed to tearing down and building
up this bridge as quickly as possible to minimize the impact on the public.”
Construction of the new bridge is scheduled for completion in December 2015, weather permitting.
During the bridge’s demolition and construction phases, West 5th
Avenue between Dublin Road and Lake Shore Drive will be closed to traffic. Motorists are advised to use Trabue Road as
an alternate route that links Dublin Road and McKinley Avenue during the
bridge’s demolition and construction phases.
The $9.7 million project is a collaboration between the
Department of Public Service and the Recreation and Parks Department.
The most recent annual inspection of the current West 5th
Avenue bridge on April 1, 2014, determined it is need of replacement, but poses
no immediate threat the safety of the general public.