WATERVILLE – For over a year, the Save the Bridge Association (STBA) has been nudging Waterville toward taking ownership of the 118-year-old Roche de Boeuf Interurban Bridge. Tonight, June 8, a decision will be made.
“We have ODOT real estate/bridge on the agenda for discussion, including a vote,” Mayor Tim Pedro confirmed.
A few weeks ago, Pedro and a few council members made the trek to the top of the bridge – from the Wood County side – to see firsthand the condition of the bridge and to hear more about STBA’s proposal to remove the spandrels and dirt in order to stabilize the structure.
The arches and piers – which are embedded into three feet of bedrock – are structurally sound, explained STBA member Rex Childers, referring to tests done by Bill Vermes, a civil engineer and bridge inspector who has saved other historic bridges.
The bridge by Daniel Luten and his National Bridge Company uses his patented Luten Arch, which adds strength to the piers and arches. This was used in Luten bridges across the country.
Over the past few months, STBA members have met with Gov. Mike DeWine, Ohio Department of Transportation and city representatives to share new information that Vermes presented.
“The first thing we had to do was deal with misinformation with the bridge’s shape and condition,” Childers said. “We had to prove that it can stand. We’ve done that. The arches are strong, and the piers are almost indestructible.”
What can be seen falling off is the spandrel walls on the side, which have been compromised from the freezing and thawing of dirt inside. The STBA’s plan is to remove that dirt and the spandrel walls to expose the piers and arches, which can stand on their own. Sharing an AI rendering of what the bridge will look like without the spandrels, Childers notes that, in such a state, the bridge could stand on its own for another 60 years with minimum maintenance.
“It’s really going to be beautiful. Imagine a Roman aqueduct stripped down to the arches,” he said.
STBA’s ultimate goal is to use that stripped down bridge as a base on which to install a 10-foot-wide pedestrian and bike path – a project that would require raising over $6 million from grants and donations. But stabilizing the bridge and preventing it from being demolished is the first step, Childers said.
ODOT awarded a $3.2 million contract to Kokosing to demolish the bridge, but had Kokosing rebid the project with a different scope: to strip the bridge of spandrels and dirt, and to take out the fallen chunks submerged in the river. By law, any nonprofit or governmental entity willing to assume ownership and liability for the bridge could be reimbursed with the estimated $4 million set aside by the state for demolition. Kokosing’s bid to work on saving the bridge was $4.05 million, Childers said.
“ODOT is offering us the option of keeping the bridge. If during the process it turns out it cannot be kept, they will continue with the process to demo it – at no cost to us,” Childers said. “The trick is, Waterville has to be the owner first.”
Pedro said council has been reviewing documents and have asked a lot of questions, but will likely ask more questions during the Waterville City Council meeting, which begins at 7:30 p.m. Residents will also have an opportunity to speak about the bridge. Council is slated to go into an executive session to discuss the purchase of the bridge, but will vote in open session, he added.
“My hope is the next day I wake up and say there’s hope for the bridge…and then we can begin talking about what we can do,” Childers said.
 has been trying to save the Roche de Boeuf Interurban Bridge. Tonight, June 8, a decision will be made.){kind=link}