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Local preservation group asks Waterville council to press governor, ODOT to pause bridge demolition
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Summary
Members of 'Save the Bridge' urged the City Council to seek an extension from the governor and ODOT, requested a $1,000 pledge from the city and pressed for studies and funding options to mothball or rehabilitate the historic Roche De Bois/Interurban bridge.
Save the Bridge organizers told the Waterville City Council on Feb. 23 that demolition bids from the Ohio Department of Transportation may go out imminently and urged immediate local action to preserve the historic Roche De Bois interurban bridge.
Dave Weber, representing the Save the Bridge Association, said the group has been charged with finding alternatives for more than a year and is now asking council for both advocacy and modest financial support. "So we're asking your support on contacting the governor," Weber said, and he asked the city to follow up the group's letter to ODOT with its own request for a pause. Weber also said the group asked ODOT to fund an engineering study (a quote they received was for $140,000) to determine mothballing costs and safety needs.
The group offered a range of potential steps to keep the structure from demolition: finding an administering owner (the Metroparks and federal agencies were mentioned as possibilities), pursuing federal battlefield or historic-site funding, or negotiating a financial inducement from ODOT to transfer administration. "For $5,000,000, you can do a downtown job and totally rehabilitate the bridge," a member of the group said while emphasizing that the $5 million figure was an illustrative, conservative estimate included in their letter.
Janice Bridal, also speaking for the group, described the bridge as "an iconic site in Waterville" and asked council to press for answers about reported safety incidents. "I've lived here 30 years. I'm not aware of any [fatalities]; all it's done is beautifully enhance our community," she said, urging the law director to check records and report back.
Mayor (name referenced in public comment as Tim Pedro) reiterated that council has supported preservation efforts from the outset, that volunteers and staff have participated in exploratory committees with ODOT and that the city will provide the $1,000 contribution previously pledged. He said a formal resolution to assume administration of the bridge would be premature without legal research and further discussion: "We can't make a resolution tonight," he said, noting that the law director would need to research the legal and financial implications.
The council and the group discussed practical next steps: sending a follow-up note about signage and outreach, arranging meetings with potential administrators (Metroparks, National Park Service) and coordinating letters to congressional representatives. Scott Sands of the Auditor of State's office, present earlier in the meeting, also participated in the public exchange and the group said it planned to send a gift and materials to the governor ahead of a follow-up call.
Outcome and next steps: Council members said they remain supportive but declined to take ownership of the bridge without staff research. The mayor said he would contact the governor as a follow-up. The group requested that council consider a separate outreach to ODOT seeking a pause and reminded the council the window for action is short once demolition bids are issued.
