Athens residents met with city officials yesterday to suggest possible improvements to the Oxbow Bridge renovations planned for Richland Avenue- and some provided ideas to develop the area beneath the bridge.
At an open house held in the City Building, 8 E. Washington St., residents and officials hashed out details concerning lighting, aesthetics and pedestrian and traffic features of the Richland Avenue Bridge over Oxbow Creek, said Andy Stone, director of engineering and public works.
With construction set to begin summer 2012, officials displayed sketches showing how different lighting and railing combinations would appear on the bridge.
Both (proposals) include retaining the existing railing on the bridge
Stone said. The railing gives a lot of character.
However, the old railing does not meet new safety standards created to prevent cars from careening off bridges, Stone said.
To (retain the original railing) we'd have to put some kind of barrier between the cars and the sidewalks he added.
The city decided to renovate the bridge after a 2008 inspection declared it structurally deficient. About 80 percent of the funds needed to carry out the estimated $2.5 million renovation of the bridge will come from a Federal Highway Administration grant.
The other 20 percent of the cost will be covered by a 0.1 percentage point income tax increase that Athens voters approved in November.
The dried-up riverbed below the bridge is part of an Ohio University master plan to make the old river valley aesthetically and practically useful, Stone said.
The space below the bridge could be paved or lit and used as a dance floor, Mayor Paul Wiehl said, adding that the space could also be used for film festivals or any other public-friendly performances.
Funding from the grant could plausibly be used for such a project, Stone said, adding that accessing the space below the bridge could be difficult.
Right now there's not really a good way to get underneath the bridge from the top
Stone said.
He and others in attendance also proposed adding a set of stairs on either side of the bridge.
My idea was to see if we could use some of the overflow funds to begin making things more accessible (for handicapped people)
said Karen Vetter, an Athens Rotary Club member.
Although many in attendance were supportive of the proposals, some wanted the renovation to resolve pedestrian congestion on the bridge.
Any kind of design that would encourage extra pedestrian traffic won't fix (the congestion on the bridge)
Athens resident George Weckman said.
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Tyler Borchers
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