U.S. 250 bridge deck in Norwalk to be repaired

Norwalk city council members adopted an emergency ordinance Tuesday night that helps move along a bridge deck replacement project scheduled for later this year.The ordinance was necessary because the Ohio Department of Transportation is performing the work on the bridge located on U.S. 250 over U.S. 20 just at the south edge of the city."I don't have a lot of details on this project," said Josh Snyder, Norwalk public works director. "It's part of the state's resurfacing process."The state hasn't announced the start date for the work."This is a bridge in the city limits, but the state maintains and inspects it," Snyder said.Councilman Stephen Schumm voiced traffic concerns at Tuesday's meeting with the possible shutdown of the road."I don't have those same concerns," Snyder said. "ODOT does a top-notch job of maintaining traffic. "ODOT is sensitive to the 250 corridor and the traffic volume," he said, adding many local businesses benefit from that traffic.Councilman Chris Mushett said he'll keep an eye on the project."That's a busy route," he said. "There's never a good time to do it."If the project takes place during the school year, buses and school traffic will be affected. During the summer, tourist traffic could be slowed down."I'm encouraged that they will likely keep a lane open," Mushett said.In other road-related business, city crews have used a bit of road salt lately."I'm confident the little snow event we had did not put a dent in our salt supply," Snyder said.The city salt bins have been full all winter."We're obligated to buy a certain amount whether it snows or not," Snyder said, adding so it's not a bad thing to use salt every so often.Snyder also said the city streets might be in better shape come spring due to the mild winter.Josh Snyder