File Photo THE KNOWLTON Covered Bridge is shown after it collapsed in 2019. Monroe County officials are hoping to use local timber to rebuild it.

WOODSFIELD — Monroe County officials are hoping to use locally grown and county-owned timber for the Knowlton Covered Bridge rebuild which could save the county thousands of dollars on the project.

Last week, Commissioner Mick Schumacher, timber specialist Rudy Christian and Knowlton Covered Bridge Parks Board President Hebert Piatt went to a large area of county-owned property in Center Township to begin an assessment in identifying usable timber for the reconstruction of the fallen bridge.

“We were on the County Home property which is county owned property. It’s a part of the County Home Farm,” Schumacher said.

Officials were able to locate 115 white oak trees that can be used for the bridge’s rehabilitation project. Schumacher said they may have to go back out and identify some additional trees that can be used, but the majority that is needed for the project have been identified.

“He (Christian) has the material list and he will evaluate how many pieces we’ll need, then we’ll take it from there and see if we need to adjust that number,” he said.

Commissioners have been planning to renovate the bridge for the past few years. However, the historic bridge collapsed last summer prior to the renovations becoming underway due to a combination of the bridge’s deteriorating condition and harsh weather.

In 2018, the project was originally put out for bid, however only one bid was received which was 40 percent above the engineer’s estimate. Commissioners declined the bid and the project was put on hold until the bridge collapsed in 2019. Schumacher said the original bidding company had planned to purchase the oak needed for the renovations from out-of-state, which could have contributed to the significant increase in cost.

Schumacher said is hopeful that the project’s cost will be much lower due to the county being able to provide the timber needed to complete the project.

“Since COVID-19 started, materials have tripled in price, so this makes it that much nicer that it’s our own materials, and we’re not plagued with that increased cost in materials,” he said.

Although an estimate is not yet known for the new project, the engineers original estimate was around $1.3 million.

Schumacher said the county being able to use local timber will not only save on rebuild costs, but also preserve the historic value of the bridge.

“This is a chance for us to utilize our own materials for one of our own structures and keep the materials here local,” he said.

The county has secured a $950,000 grant through the Ohio Department of Transportation for the project. The ODOT funding is meant to help preserve historic sites. If the estimate is greater than the earmarked funds, the county will have to cover the additional costs. However, Schumacher said that with the county being able to contribute its own materials to the project, he is hopeful the additional cost will not be significant.

The timber will be harvested and stored this winter. Officials are hoping to begin the bridge restoration project sometime in the spring.