By Mark Shaffer
The Ironton Tribune

A reminder for Ironton motorists, the Oakley C. Collins Memorial Bridge in Ironton will be closed to traffic starting Monday morning.
The Ohio Department of Transportation is stopping bridge traffic for a month to resurface the bridge’s deck and restore it to premium condition.
Crews will mill off the top 1.25” of the roadway surface and replace it with new material.
The bridge is scheduled to reopen on Oct. 23.
The Ohio Department of Transportation said bridge surfaces generally last about a decade and the surface of the Oakley C. Collins Memorial Bridge is eight years old.
“We didn’t want to wait until the surface had passed its expected lifespan to make these critical repairs,” said ODOT District 9 deputy director Mike Dombrowski. “Doing this preventative maintenance project now means the work isn’t as extensive as it might have been had we waited.”
Due to the narrow width of the bridge, a partial roadway rehabilitation that would keep one lane open was not possible. Completing the entire deck at one time will ensure a quality result and avoid future inconveniences to drivers.
“We know this will be an inconvenience to folks who use this bridge, but we want to ensure that we’re getting the best outcome from the project to maximize the life of the bridge deck, going forward,” Dombrowski said.
During the closure, traffic heading to Kentucky will detour to Park Avenue, east on U.S. 52, south over the Ohio River on the Ben Williamson Memorial Bridge and west on Winchester Avenue in Ashland. Traffic from Kentucky into Ohio will detour via Winchester Avenue to the Simeon Willis Memorial Bridge west on U.S. 52, and south on Park Avenue.
The Oakley C. Collins Memorial Bridge was opened in November 2016 and has an expected lifespan of 80 years. It replaced the Ironton–Russell Bridge, cantilever bridge, which was completed in 1922 and demolished in 2016.