Covered bridge repairs nearly done

BALLVILLE TOWNSHIP – Refurbishment work on The Mull Covered Bridge is almost complete, and the Sandusky County Park District hopes to unveil the iconic landmark to the public as soon as possible, the county’s park director said Monday.

Andrew Brown, the park district’s director, said there had been no significant issues with the project, other than some slight weather-related delays this summer.

He said work crews were putting in grass seed on the approach to the bridge and waiting on some siding but had otherwise finished all of the major work.

“I’m anticipating they’ll be done by the end of the week,” Brown said.

The 164-year-old structure, the only covered bridge remaining in the county, got a new roof and siding, and the bridge’s beams were replaced.

Brown previously said the bridge’s pillars would be raised during the refurbishment, with barriers installed to reduce moisture that has rotted out some of the support beams.

About 80 percent of the $330,000 project is being funded by an Ohio Department of Transportation grant, Brown said.

He said the park district, which is working with Ballville Township and the county on the project, contributed $20,000 in matching funds. The county engineer’s office is serving as the manager for the project.

Planning for the project started in 2013.

According to the park district, the bridge, which is a “town lattice” truss type, was built in 1851 by the Henry Mull family to allow for safe access for trade to the Mull mill.

In 1974, the Mull Covered Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is one of the last remaining covered bridges in northwestern Ohio.

Brown said the park district had talked to all parties involved about a public unveiling of the covered bridge and its improvements.

He said there had not been a date set yet for a public event, with ODOT still needing to do its own inspection of the structure before it can be opened to the public.

The park director said there would likely be a public ceremony at the bridge sometime this fall, with a plaque to commemorate the work done on-site.

Brown said the park district did a walk-through on the covered bridge last week. He said he was impressed by the new roof and said the bridge looks like new.

“We are probably looking at another 100 years without needing to do anything to that bridge,” Brown said.

dacarson@gannett.com

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Twitter: @DanielCarson7