Butler County Engineer Dean
C. Foster reports that crews will be mobilized this afternoon
to begin the first phase of repairs at the Hamilton New London
Road bridge over Indian Creek.
Foster was granted authority
by the Butler County Commissioners yesterday to commence emergency
repairs immediately. Crews from SK Construction will move equipment
to the site today and, weather permitting, begin relocating the
stream channel tomorrow.
The oxbow toward the east
side of the double truss bridge will be rechanneled to the west
side of the middle pier. The east truss will then be temporarily
shored up to keep the bridge from collapsing while the stream
bank is stabilized to prevent further erosion.
An opening date for the bridge
has not been determined, although Foster hopes to have work completed
by the end of August. The bridge, located in Ross Township, was
closed last Sunday night after high waters in rain-swollen Indian
Creek washed out the bridge abutment and the adjoining roadway
approach on the bridge's east side.
BCEO engineers were at the
site immediately Monday morning studying possible design solutions.
Boring samples were also taken to determine the stability of
the embankment.
The BCEO is looking into
the possibility of receiving assistance in the form of disaster
relief funds from the Federal Emergency Management Association
(FEMA). Since stream erosion appears to be a problem along the
east bank upstream and downstream from the bridge, the BCEO will
also contact the Army Corps of Engineers about the possibilities
of shoring up those areas.
