Genoa: Village awarded 2 bridge replacement grants

Genoa
Village awarded 2 bridge replacement grants

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Plans by the administration of the Village of Genoa to replace two bridges got a boost recently when the Ohio Department of Transportation announced the village is being awarded two grants through ODOT’s Municipal Bridge Program.
The village is receiving a grant of $1.25 million for work on a bridge on Washington Street and $1.22 million for a bridge on W. 9th Street, Thomas Bergman, village administrator, said, adding the figures include funds for the state’s share of design, engineering, and construction costs.
Both bridges span Packer Creek.
“If we didn’t get assistance from ODOT we were really looking at the possibility of not being able to afford these bridge replacements,” he said. “I think ODOT knows how difficult it is for small towns to fund these projects, and as a result the program is very generous if you are fortunate enough to be selected.
“There aren’t many programs that offer 95 percent construction and 80 percent engineering funding. These percentages were increases from previous years, and are not guaranteed to be there next year because they are using federal funding. For Genoa to receive funding for both bridge projects while the generosity from the state is at those levels is pretty incredible.”
But even with the grant funding, the village will be responsible for “hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Bergman said.
Voters in the village will decide a levy request for an additional 1.8 mills on the Nov. 5 ballot. If passed, the additional millage would generate about $79,000 annually for five years. That revenue stream would be used to cover the village’s share of the bridge projects.
Bergman said a schedule for seeking construction bids hasn’t been set.
“It’s possible that the two bridges could be bid out together to get better pricing. Ottawa County also intends to reconstruct the Main Street bridge around the same time frame so there will be some coordination on scheduling for the three bridges,” he said.
The annual homecoming parade brings thousands to town every June and uses both Main and Washington streets, so schedules would try to accommodate that great Genoa tradition. That assumes the Washington Street bridge remains open. Premature closure due to the poor bridge ratings is a possibility and something we will monitor as we move toward reconstruction.”
Genoa was one of seven municipalities to receive a grant and the only one to receive funding for two projects.
In all, $12.4 million was awarded.
Grant applications were accepted from July 1 to Aug. 15 and reviewed by a panel with a background in bridge analysis and funding.
“Bridges owned by local communities make up the majority of the bridges in our state. The people of Ohio do not care who owns and maintains these bridges, they just want to know that they are safe to cross. This program helps ensure they are,” said Pamela Boratyn, ODOT director.