Residents urge council to "Save the Bridge" as ODOT moves toward demolition bids

A coalition of Waterville residents and preservation volunteers pressed the City of Waterville on March 9 to halt a planned demolition and to buy time while stakeholders explore alternatives.

Barb Bruno, speaking for the Save the Bridge committee, told the council that "ODOT is already putting out bids for demolition" and said engineering firms were already assessing the structure. She asked the council for a formal proclamation and more time to assemble a consortium of potential administrators including Metroparks and county partners to take on administrative responsibility for the historic bridge.

Janice Brada, a Save the Bridge volunteer, said preservation work and public outreach are already under way. "We are using the thousands that you donated recently to create banners so that we can convey a sense of urgency," she said, and reported that ODOT staff and archaeologists had been on site documenting the structure for the Library of Congress while demolition planning proceeds.

Advocates presented cost estimates from a pro-bono engineer and volunteer research: they said stabilizing or "mothballing" the bridge to remove immediate hazards was roughly $1.7 million and that complete demolition had been estimated at about $4 million. Volunteers argued the roughly $1.7 million stabilization estimate would be far less than total replacement and urged the council to secure a pause while additional owners and funders are identified.

Council members repeatedly flagged liability and insurance as central obstacles to the city taking title. Council member Scott Johns and others said they were "struggling" with the prospect of assuming state-level liability and that insurers had previously declined to underwrite similar risks. Several council members said any transfer of ownership would need a clear contract, fixed costs and an insurance plan before they could support assuming responsibility.

Mayor Timothy G. Pedro reported a recent call with Governor DeWine, saying the governor "is interested in a path forward" and asked for more time to identify possible administrators and to coordinate with the Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies; the mayor said the governor would "get back to you a week from now." Pedro also said Toledo Metroparks had expressed interest in learning more but wanted additional details before committing to administration.

Volunteers pressed for legal help, public outreach and stronger commitments from outside partners. Council members and volunteers also discussed interim options such as preserving piers, building a viewing platform or funding partial stabilization to limit liability and risk to the river. The Save the Bridge group said it has begun a public campaign with banners, yard signs and media outreach and is seeking a formal statement of support from the city and the governor as part of its advocacy.

Next steps: volunteers and council members agreed the immediate priority is to secure more time and a clear response from the governor and to continue coalition-building, while recognizing the project will require interagency coordination and clarifying funding and insurance before the city could accept legal responsibility.