Columbus, OH -- Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced on Sep 2nd, that the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is now accepting applications for funding as part of the Local Major Bridge Program, which provides federal funds to counties and municipalities for bridge replacement, bridge rehabilitation, and bridge demolition projects.

Governor DeWine announced in April that more locally-owned bridges would be eligible for funding as part of this program. Modified program requirements opened eligibility to 238 bridges, up from 54. During the current funding cycle, the program will pay up to 95 percent of the construction and engineering costs for major bridge projects with a cap of $20 million.

“Expanding the number of eligible bridges in this program gives more communities the opportunity to seek assistance with expensive repairs,” said Governor DeWine. "Ensuring that Ohio bridges are safe now and into the future is our goal, and this program helps accomplish that.”

ODOT has identified a list of bridges that meet the definition of a Local Major Bridge, but to qualify for funding, bridges must also meet other specific criteria related to inspection history, load restriction, and operation status.

Local Major Bridge Program and Application Guidance

Completed online applications are due by October 1. Selected projects will be announced by January 2023.

A criteria-based project selection process has been developed to focus on eliminating deficiencies while keeping within a financial plan that utilizes existing available resources. Funding of all projects will be linked to defined deficiencies to ensure that each dollar invested results in system improvement.

Examples of projects completed with funding from the Local Major Bridge Program are below.

Northeast Ohio, Summit County Replacement of the State Street Bridge over the Ohio Canal in the city of Akron. Work was complete June 2021 and the project cost was $8 million.

East Central Ohio, Muskingum County Replacement of the Philo Bridge (CR 32) over the Muskingum River between Duncan Falls and Philo. Work was complete October 2020 and the project cost was $15 million.

Southeast Ohio, Montgomery County Replacement of the Third Street Bridge (Peace Bridge) over the Great Miami River in Dayton was complete and open in October 2021. Project cost was $19 million.