Ohio 235 to be closed longer for bridge delay

Detour could last through early January, officials explain.

Work to build a span south of East Dayton Yellow Springs Road, scheduled for an October finish, could be delayed into January.

Ohio 235 south of East Dayton Yellow Springs Road will be closed to commuters a little longer than anticipated as work to build a bridge has been delayed.

The $3.7 million project to open up limestone reserves for Fairborn Cement Co. was originally set to be finished by October.

The timeline has been pushed back to December or early January before the state route will reopen, according to Brian Cunningham, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Transportation.

“There were some unanticipated issues that required additional stabilization for the rock walls,” Cunningham said.

The discovery of fractured rock has led to additional work to shore up the rock before bridge beams can be set in place, which is now slated to happen in September.

Aerial photos of the worksite shows the state route has been excavated and some of the limestone rock that lies underneath the surface has been cleared away.

The work is being done by the Eagle Bridge Co. from Sidney. The project was designed and is being funded by the Fairborn Cement Co., which will use the path under the bridge to reach limestone reserves on the east side of Ohio 235.

A representative with the Fairborn Cement Co. could not be reached for comment. It’s one of two cement companies in the state and is capable of manufacturing about 750,000 tons of cement a year.

A company representative said previously the newly accessed limestone reserves represent more than 20 years of additional raw material.

Motorists are being detoured around the construction site using U.S. 68, West Hyde and West Enon roads. The detour sends traffic along routes where school zones are in place, including the Greene County Career Center, at 2960 W. Enon Road. The Greene County Sheriff ’s Office is advising drivers to remember to slow down in the area of the career center.

TY GREENLEES / STAFF Contractors have begun to build a bridge on a stretch of State Route 235 where Fairborn Cement Company has quarried limestone through the right of way to the east side of the road. The bridge will allow cement workers to drive under the state route to continue quarry work without crossing the road. The project is now expected to be complete in December or early January.