Council advances easement resolution for 6th Street bridge replacement after presentation on debris and flooding risk
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
City Engineer described a plan to replace the 120+-year-old double-arch bridge on 6th Street with a single-span structure; ODOT is funding 95% of the project, the city’s share is roughly $50,000, and the city is preparing to acquire small easements from three parcels.
The Mansfield City Council moved forward with legislation to secure easements needed to replace the aging double-arch bridge on 6th Street, city officials said.
City Engineer Mr. Bianchi told the council the bridge — a double-barrel arch just east of Bowman over Toby Run — has exceeded its design life and routinely traps debris, obstructing water flow after storms. "We received 95% grant funds for this bridge, both in the design, the construction, and the inspection," Mr. Bianchi said, adding the city’s local share would be "about $50,000" on a project whose total cost is "close to $1,000,000." He said the city applied to the Ohio Department of Transportation about two years ago and accepted the grant.
The bill before council, numbered 26-027, declares the city's intent to appropriate easement interests and certain real property under Ohio Revised Code 719.04 so crews can complete the streetscape and bridge replacement work. Mr. Bianchi said the property interests needed are very small — a narrow strip behind the sidewalk — totaling roughly 0.0335 acres across three parcels owned by two property owners. He said staff expects to negotiate fair-market-value easements but is preparing for appropriation only if negotiations fail.
Council members asked whether property owners had been informed; Mr. Bianchi said they had. He also clarified the design choice: the existing double-barrel arch will be replaced by a single-span opening intended to reduce debris collection and mitigate localized flooding on 6th Street, though it "will not solve the 100-year flood problem on 6th Street." The engineer said he expects to return to council in about a month to request authorization to proceed with construction once right-of-way matters are resolved.
The council later voted 8–0 to place Bill 26-027 on the floor and give final passage, recording the ordinance as approved.
The next procedural steps are property-interest acquisition (negotiation or appropriation if necessary) and a subsequent council authorization to construct the replacement bridge. The timing will also be driven by ODOT grant requirements and the negotiated easement schedule.