OXFORD – Five months into the reconstruction of the Main Street Bridge in Oxford, Economy Paving Co. has completed the center pedestal of the bridge, a major milestone in the project.
“Weather has certainly been a factor in completing the bridge. The rain is raising the level of the river,” said Mayor Terry Stark. “But it’s still on schedule and we hope to have it open in August in time for the first day of school.”
The center pier, which resulted in the excavation of 1,606 cubic yards of material, was completed at the end of April, approximately halfway through the project.
The west side abutment has also been completed and construction of the east side abutment has already begun.
Stark reported the next two milestones would be the east abutment, expected to be complete by the end of May, and the placement of steel beams across the river by mid-june.
“As long as they happen, the rest will fall into place,” said Stark, explaining “the rest” would include placement of a deck, paving, landscaping and light placement.
The village board had wrestled with the problem of sewer line placement at the beginning of the project.
However, Stark said the decision to dig the lines below the river has worked well and there have been no complaints from the sewage plant.
Stark also reported that during the final stage of the process, the project will technically be complete, although public vehicles will still be prohibited from driving on the bridge.
“We have to get the final sanction from the state and county and although construction vehicles will use the bridge, it will still be cordoned off for a few days to a week,” said Stark.
The mayor said the issue of traffic has gone well despite the two-mile detour during construction.
“The village would like to thank everyone for being patient during this process,” he said. “So far everything has gone fairly well.”