Ottawa County engineer says: 2023 to be big infrastructure season

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Ottawa County engineer Ron Lajti said he expects 2023 to be one of the largest infrastructure construction seasons in the county’s history with budgeted projects totaling about $9.3 million scheduled for bidding.
A low bid of $790,734 from R&I Construction, Tiffin, was recently approved by the county commissioners for the replacement of Elliston Trowbridge Road over Toussaint Creek Bridge.
Lajti said the project’s anticipated start is in August and it is expected to be completed by November.
The bridge will be replaced with a three-span concrete beam bridge. New railing and guardrail will also be installed.
About 80 percent of the project will be funded through the Local Bridge Program that is administered by the County Engineer’s Association of Ohio and 15 percent is covered by bridge credits earned by Ottawa County. Funding for both comes from federal sources. The county is responsible for 5 percent of the costs.
Another bridge project, Linker Portage Road over Sugar Creek, is scheduled to start next month and has an anticipated completion date in May. R&I also submitted the low bid of $501,269 for rehabilitating the bridge.
The current bridge is a three-span concrete beam bridge that Lajte describes as “deficient” with load reduction signs posted.
The project will include replacing the beams and making improvements to the abutment and pier substructures. New bridge railing and guardrail will be installed.
All of the funding will come from the Ohio Bridge Partnership Program, which is administered by the Ohio Department of Transportation and provides federal funds to counties and municipalities for bridge improvements.
M&B Asphalt Co., Inc., Tiffin, submitted the low bid of $2.12 million for resurfacing Oak Harbor Southeast Road.
The project is anticipated to start in May and be completed by July.
Eighty percent of the project will be covered by federal funding through the County Surface Transportation Program and 20 percent will come from county sources.
About 7.7 miles of the road will be milled and resurfaced between State Routes 19 and 53.
Railing improvements to the bridge spanning Little Portage River and an approach slab will also be adjusted to provide a smooth transition from the roadway to the bridge.
“The fruition of these projects is a culmination of pre-planned funding, grant chasing, and financial assistance from the increase in fuel tax revenue. Just these three projects have been bid out for a total of roughly $3.5 million,” Lajti said. “Of that amount, this office’s portion is only $468,452. We do virtually all of our planning, surveying, engineering, and inspections with our own staff.”