US 22 bridge trusses near Rushville to come down

RUSHVILLE – Weather permitting, construction crews are going to begin dismantling the trusses on the U.S. 22 bridge near Rushville on Thursday.

"The bad weather has set us back a couple of weeks, but when the weather improves the lost time is often made up," said Ericka Pfeifer, Ohio Department of Transportation District 5 spokeswoman. "But right now the demolition of bridge should start with the dismantling of some of the trusses on Thursday."

U.S. 22 was closed in January to begin demolition and building of a new bridge near Rushville. The bridge goes over Little Rush Creek. The detour for the highway is Ohio 664 to Ohio 37 and back to U.S. 22. Entry and exits points on U.S. 22 will be near West Rushville Road and at the U.S. 22 and Ohio 37 split on the east side of Lancaster.

The estimated $6.7 million bridge replacement will include the demolition of the steel truss bridge and the construction of a new concrete I-beam bridge. The contractor for the bridge replacement is Kokosing Construction.

Pfeifer said the bridge has a completion date scheduled for June 30, 2016. The bridge was expected to be closed for at least 260 days from January, when it was closed to traffic.

Fairfield County Chief Deputy Engineer Jeff Baird said the county had not received any complaints about the detour.

There had been some concern before the project started that people might use village streets and county highways through Rushville and West Rushville to get around the bridge instead of using the official detour.

"But it has worked out so far and been pretty good," Baird said. "We haven't had any complaints I'm aware of and we haven't heard of a lot of trucks going through the villages. Sounds like most of the traffic is using the approved detour."

Baird said the county would continue to monitor the traffic and check the smaller county bridge that traffic has to cross if they take the route through the villages.

The current Rushville bridge was opened to traffic in 1959.

"The demolition process is expected to take between two and three months," Pfeifer said. "With the weather delays, I suspect it will take more like the three months before demolition is complete. Then they will start construction on the new bridge."

As for the new U.S. 22 bridge, when it is completed, it is expected to last up to 75 years.

cburnett@lancastereaglegazette.com

740-681-4346

Twitter: @CarlBurnettJr