MOUNT VERNON — Preliminary evaluations of two bridges in the city scheduled for rehab work came back negative.
Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Mavis said the bridges over Curtis Run on Braddock and Catherine streets were evaluated before work could be done next spring to rehabilitate them. The engineering firm drilled into the concrete and found them in worse condition than originally thought. They will now need replaced instead of rehabilitated, which will cost much more.
Because the bridges were scheduled to be rehabilitated as part of a Community Development Block Grant project, that portion of the grant application with the Ohio Department of Development will have to be reworked. Mavis also said that because of the money involved, only one bridge will be able to be replaced.
“We do not have enough money to complete both bridges, so we’ll look to replace Braddock Street right now,” Mavis said.
The bridge will be replaced by a concrete box culvert.
Mavis said the city has reduced the weight limit on the bridge to 4,000 pounds, and notified American Electric Power of that limitation, because the company’s trucks use that bridge to get to its Boyle Street garage.
The city still has time to resubmit the application because it wasn’t planning on beginning the project until next spring.
Drivers on the east end of Mount Vernon may have noticed traffic count apparatus on Coshocton Avenue, Yauger Road and Vernonview Drive. Those counters are being used by E.P. Ferris to determine traffic count, volume of traffic and the amount of turns in hopes it will help the city determine what could be done to reconfigure that triangle of streets and make traffic flow better.
Mavis said the city is continuing its investigation into why three leaks happened in a water main pipe on Mansfield Avenue this past week. The city dug up a 12-foot section of the cast iron pipe and is evaluating it to determine why three separate, bullet-shaped, holes formed in the pipe. The cast iron pipe is also used on Grange, Fearn and Pearl streets, and Mavis would like to determine what could be done to keep the 52-year-old pipe from rupturing again.
The road pavement milling the city recently finished on Sandusky Street is now being used on the parking lot at the former Connell’s building on South Sandusky Street.
As a part of that road resurfacing project, Mavis said the city had a couple of issues arise about the timing of work in certain areas, including around schools.
“One thing I wish we would do better is be more concerned about the time. We were at Dan Emmett school at 3:30 when parents are trying to pick up their kids,” Mavis said.
Mavis said the new signs for Foundation Park have arrived and are being placed on Columbus Road and Harcourt Road. The Kiwanis and Rotary clubs helped purchase those new signs.
The new trails at the park worked well at the cross country meet, but Mavis said they had a problem recently with a vehicle attempting to drive the trail. Mavis said the trails are for pedestrians for walking or running, and should not be used for vehicular traffic.
One other problem the city has been facing is people using ladders and sticks to beat down buckeyes off the trees at the square. Mavis asked that residents wait until the buckeyes have fallen off the tree before gathering them.
Mavis also said all three decks of the plaza parking garage are open even though work continues on the parapet walls.