Photo by Gage Vota The historic Blaine Hill Bridge construction project will soon be in full force. Beaver Excavating Co. will begin construction Monday.

BLAINE — Work to repair and renovate the historic Blaine Hill Bridge is expected to begin next week.

Beaver Excavating Co. and the Ohio Department of Transportation recently had a pre-construction meeting in regard to the Blaine Bridge construction project.

“They’ve been doing some pre-construction work with maintenance of traffic signs and that kind of thing to get it switched over to the contractor’s signage,” ODOT District 11 Public Information Officer Lauren Borell said. “Starting the first week in July, which is around June 30, they will be in full swing with demo work on the bridge.”

Beaver Excavating Co. was awarded the construction project this past April for $17 million and anticipates that the bridge will reopen to traffic in July 2026, with overall completion expected by Oct. 31, 2026.

Borrell added that the work that will take place after the July 2026 opening date will be minor, such as a bumpy spot in the bridge that would need to be repaired and smoothed out, or if there was something off with the guardrail — small items that won’t impact the opening. She added that the period from July 1 to Oct. 31 of next year will allow Beaver Excavating Co. to complete any remaining work.

The project includes enhancements to the structural integrity of the span, replacing the superstructure and maintaining the bridge’s historical character, all to facilitate the bridge’s reopening.

Last July, ODOT restricted traffic on the Blaine Hill Bridge after the span showed structural issues that caused concern. Originally, ODOT only closed the westbound lanes of the span on U.S. 40 “out of an abundance of caution” while working to address structural deficiencies.

Shortly after the bridge was reduced to eastbound traffic only, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and ODOT received multiple reports of drivers either not understanding or not obeying the posted signs and traveling west in the open eastbound lanes. According to ODOT, “that behavior led to several close calls that could have caused life-threatening traffic collisions.”

ODOT made the decision to fully close the bridge in August, which led to residents complaining about the inconvenience it caused.

ODOT originally anticipated construction to repair and replace the bridge to begin by 2027, but due to the public outcry the department worked to expedite the process to allow the project to be moved up for completion in 2026.

“The biggest goal is to get the bridge open to traffic,” Borrell said. “It’s coming along, and we’re excited. The contractor has been working on the extensive demolition plans, and they’ve done a thorough review of them. We appreciate their time making sure that they perform a safe demolition of the bridge, not only for the safety of the workers out there, but for the project itself.”