Photo courtesy of ODOT

The salvaged beam was cut to length and placed on top of 4th Street and secured to the damaged beam with chains and load binders.

The Ohio Department of Transportation and the city of Columbus continue coordinating on a longer-term temporary repair of the 4th Street Bridge over I-70 that was damaged when it was struck by an over-height load.

The damaged beam is located on the east side of the bridge under the sidewalk and does not carry the active load of traffic. Initially only one lane of 4th Street was reopened to traffic out of an abundance of caution to ensure the weight load on the bridge stayed well under capacity. Following performance of a load rating on the structure, it was determined that another lane could safely be restored.

"Structurally, the 4th Street bridge is sound. We were fortunate the damage from this incident was confined to one exterior beam," said Jeff Hipp, ODOT District 6 bridge engineer.

Photo courtesy of ODOT

The next round of repairs will remove the damaged beam, provide support for a utility duct and reopen another lane of traffic on 4th Street. Temporary pedestrian access will be established in the eastern-most lane of 4th Street, as the current sidewalk will need to remain closed.

Following an over-height vehicle strike to the 4th Street Bridge over I-70 Westbound on Jan. 6 that severely damaged one of the bridge beams, both ODOT and Kokosing forces mobilized rapidly on a temporary repair to re-open I-70 Westbound.

Initially, ODOT staff were assessing removal of the damaged beam and a partial deck demolition, similar to what was previously done on the 3rd Street bridge. However, the presence of a major fiber optic utility duct next to the damaged beam meant an alternative short-term repair was needed.

Early estimates for the repair had all lanes of I-70 Westbound potentially closed for multiple days, however several factors contributed to crews being able to get a temporary repair in place and the highway back open to traffic in one day.

"Having a contractor on scene and working nearby was integral to being able to mobilize a quick response to this incident," said Toni Turowski, ODOT District 6 deputy director. "Having a salvaged beam from the Front Street bridge on hand also meant there were no delays in locating and acquiring materials. Work was able to begin almost immediately. We greatly appreciate Kokosing's partnership and mobilizing their crews on a weekend with short notice."

The salvaged beam was cut to length and placed on top of 4th Street and secured to the damaged beam with chains and load binders ensuring the damaged beam is safely held in place.

The 4th Street bridge will be demolished and rebuilt as part a future phase of the I-70/I-71 Downtown Ramp Up project currently under construction.

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