The Portage County Engineer has advised us that he’s ready to fix the County’s bridge over the Cuyahoga River on Middlebury Road which means the bridge/road will be closed from October 20th 2008 until the planned re-opening in April 2009. I’m sure people can recall the infamous railroad owned bridge just down the street that was closed for an extended period as the City ended up having to take the railroad to court to get it fixed. The good news is that there’s no dispute on the repair of the County bridge. The County knows what needs to be done and they’re ready to do it so the only time involved will be actual repair work. Here’s more information on the upcoming County bridge project here in Kent.
Project Location:
Middlebury Rd Bridge over the Cuyahoga River
Project Schedule:
Construction Start Date October 20, 2008
Project Finish April 2009
The Middlebury Road Bridge over the Cuyahoga River is being reconstructed by Portage County due to age and severe deterioration.
The bridge was originally built in 1906 and rebuilt in 1954. The steel truss bridge is inspected annually and shows signs of section loss in the steel truss members, gusset plates and floor beams. Section loss means the steel 
member is thinner than was originally designed. This is due primarily to corrosion.
Middlebury Road will be CLOSED during construction.
Traffic will be detoured using SR 261, Cherry Street, Stow Street and SR 59. Construction of the project is anticipated to last 6 months with the road being opened in April, 2009. The new bridge will be on a modified alignment, which will allow for smoother curves in the roadway.
The new bridge will be a 3-span concrete I-beam bridge that will allow for the Portage Hike and Bike Trail through Kent to pass under the roadway for future connections to Tallmadge and Munroe Falls.
Project Status:
Construction of the new Middlebury Road Bridge over the Cuyahoga River will begin on October 20, 2008
Contact:
Mickey Marozzi, P.E.
Portage County Engineer
Phone: 330-296-6411
Email: mmarozzi@portageco.com