But Greene County Engineer Robert Geyer said the bridge — covered inside with graffiti and showing obvious signs of distress — is rotting and a load analysis said its true capacity is more like 2.25 tons.
“It’s 150 years old and it’s tired,” Geyer said. “Cars are about all that are supposed to use it, but other people do use it, so we’re just afraid that it’s in bad shape and we’re working with a consultant right now to do rehab on it. We’d rather just have it standing than laying in the creek when we rehab it.”
The Greene County commissioners passed a resolution Nov. 22 to close the bridge. Geyer said road signs will indicate the closure.
An interoffice memo from the county’s chief plat and bridge inspector Kevin Mallow said, in part, that “the bridge has deteriorated to the point it can no longer convey traffic safely.
“We are currently in the design phase for this bridge to bring it up to specs for all traffic, including school buses and emergency vehicles.”
The structure is one of five remaining covered bridges in Greene County. Geyer said the covered bridge on Engle Mill Road (south of East Spring Valley-Paintersville Road) also will be repaired in 2012.
He hopes both rehab jobs will be done by fall 2012.
Geyer said also the Charleton Mill Road bridge is on a township road that does not get much traffic, but that some people are driving on it with pickup trucks hauling trailers and equipment.
“There’s no sense in waiting for somebody to go through it,” he said. “We’re closing it as a precaution.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-6951 or mgokavi@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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