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 Area residents used snowblowers, snow plows and snow shovels to dig out from a winter storm that hit late Friday and Saturday. Another storm is to hit tonight. Staff photo/William Laney MIKE BURKHOLDER
and WILLIAM LANEY
Staff Writers
A winter snow storm, which dumped as much as 3 feet in the Washington, D.C. area, hit the area with as much as 9 inches of snow in Wapakoneta and some areas of Auglaize County.
The snowfall came with high winds which created drifts as tall as 4 feet causing hazards for the city and county roadways.
Wapakoneta weather observer Dan Dietz calculated 8.5 inches of snow fell in Wapakoneta Friday and Saturday. The National Weather Service is predicting as much as 10 more inches starting with a light snow at midnight with most of the snow falling throughout the day Tuesday before tapering off early Wednesday morning.
Wapakoneta Public Works Superintendent Meril Simpson said city crews hit the roads at 4 a.m. Saturday, but the high winds hampered their effforts.
Crews worked until 4:15 p.m.. Saturday and returned Sunday and worked from 7 a.m. to 1p.m. before heading back out early this morning.
“We are attempting to clear the roadways the best we can and we are dumping more salt and grit this time,” Simpson said this morning. “The temperature is still too cold for the salt to work, but if we get enough sun it may warm it up enough to help.”
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Friday, 29 May 2009 |
By WILLIAM LANEY
Managing Editor
Harrison Street Bridge in Wapakoneta likely will be closed starting Monday, a county administrator says.
Auglaize County Engineer Doug Reinhart said crews from Brumbaugh Construction, of Arcanum, are set to start work Monday or early next week on the $1.98 million bridge and street reconstruction project.
“As far as I know it is to start next week and I would anticipate next week it will be closed,” Reinhart said. “The con-
tractor has moved some of his equipment onto the county garage grounds already, and as far as we know — unless something happens in the next day or so that would delay him on another project — the street and bridge would be closed as early as Monday of next week.”
Signs posted at the bridge indicate the bridge being closed starting June 1. The sign says the project should be completed by Nov. 11, days prior to when the asphalt plants close for the season.
The contractor is subject to penalties if the project is not completed by the deadline.
Detours around the site are expected to flow in two directions.
“I think you are going to see a lot of traffic using Auglaize and Silver streets,” Reinhart said. “On the east end, we will have a sign at Seltzer Street saying the road is open to the city Public Works Department building, and we intend to put in advance warning signs at Water Street.”
The county engineer says this should give motorists a chance to use Silver Street or Redskin Trail to avoid the construction zone.
“The tough part about it is, and Bridge Engineer Dan Bennett has done some traffic counts, there are close to 5,000 vehicles per day that use that bridge which is probably more than a lot of people would guess,” Reinhart said. “These vehicles will have to use an alternate route — this bridge and street work will put some stress on traffic patterns near the construction zone.”
Wapakoneta Engineering Supervisor Mary Ruck said she is waiting to receive a detour route from the contractor, but people will likely use Auglaize and Silver streets.
The bridge and street reconstruction project is a joint project between the city of Wapa-koneta and the county. The county is coordinating and overseeing the construction of the bridge, while the city is responsible for the reconstruction of a section of Harrison Street from county work at the bridge to Defiance Street.
The twin-steel truss bridge is to be widened to 46 1/2 feet from 28 feet to accommodate a wider street and sidewalks on both sides of the bridge. It also is to be raised to clear the worst flood in a 100-year span based on past occurrences.
During the past year, city Public Works Department and Electric Department crews have been working to reroute water, sewer and sanitary sewer lines as well as electric lines because of the bridge replacement project.
Private utility companies also have moved natural gas, telephone and cable television lines during the past few months.
The $1.98 million bridge project is being funded with help from a state grant federal highway gasoline tax funding. The city portion of the street reconstruction is being paid through a state Issue 1 grant, with property owners paying for curbs, gutters and sidewalks.
Reinhart said crews cannot work in the water until July 1 because of Ohio Environmental Protection Agency restrictions due to the spawning of fish, so street work is to proceed first.
Due to work in the Auglaize River, Safety-Service Director Rex Katterheinrich and Mayor Rodney Metz have lowered the dam to lower the river.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 01 June 2009 )
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