Lisbon bridge replacement project underway

LISBON, Ohio (WKBN) – Construction is finally underway to replace the Market Street Bridge in Lisbon.

The project was put on hold when construction costs skyrocketed following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ve been working on this project since 2020,” said Lisbon Mayor Peter Wilson.

Wilson said construction costs basically doubled from 2020 to 2024.

“Initially it was $1.8 million. Now it’s about $3.6,” he said.

Fortunately, the village worked with ODOT and the County Commissioner’s Office to secure grants to help fund the project and received money from the municipal bridge program to complete the repairs.

Wilson said the current bridge was built in the late 1960s and has major problems such as the corrosion of its steel beams. It has been on ODOT’s list for repairs or replacement for years but finding funding for big-ticket projects isn’t easy for villages the size of Lisbon.

“In today’s world, municipalities like Lisbon, we can’t undertake major capital expenditures without some time of government assistance. The price tag on this is huge,” Wilson said.

Construction crews will work one lane at a time, leaving access for drivers but there will be a closure of roughly a day or so to relocate a water line as part of the project.

“For emergency services like fire ambulance and police, this is a major thoroughfare, and if that bridge did not exist, the response time to people up on the hill and beyond would be added 10-15 minutes for emergency services,” Wilson said.

Replacing the center column of the bridge will also free up access to Little Beaver Creek, reducing wear and tear on the span.

“That’s important because during the spring we get a lot of heavy rains and big branches will come floating down and they’ll pile onto the middle tier. Having just one single span will alleviate that.”

The work is expected to wrap up early next year.

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