T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK Belmont County Commissioner Josh Meyer, standing right, describes the situation at the animal shelter to Sandy, left, and Vince Lewis of Shadyside on Wednesday while Commissioner J.P. Dutton, standing left, talks to Frank Papini of St. Clairsville. The Lewises noted improvements in shelter adoption rates.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Some long-awaited projects are moving forward in Belmont County. On Wednesday, the Belmont County Board of Commissioners voted to enter into a contract with Shelly & Sands Inc. for superstructure replacement of a bridge on Belmont County Road 10 in Blaine for $1,633,090.18.

The federal share is $1,306,472.14 and the county share is $326,618.04.

Belmont County Engineer Terry Lively said the work is planned for spring.

“That work should begin in March, and I think they’re tentatively thinking it will be done by the end of May, so we’re happy to have that project kicked off and get it rolling,” he said. “The bridge has been there for quite awhile. I think it was built in 1950 or 1952. “The foundations are in good shape, but the superstructure, the beams and especially the concrete deck are really starting to show their age, and we need to get it replaced.”

The project was rebid in June, when the sole bid from Ohio-West Virginia Excavating of Powhatan Point was $700,000 higher than expected. The new bids were $1,633,090.18 from from Shelly & Sands, $1,883,416.04 from Marucci & Gaffney Excavating Co. and $1,897,155.75 from Ohio-West Virginia Excavating.

The county also accepted bids for slide repairs on Fulton Hill Road. Goettle Engineering and Construction bid $938,040, Ohio-West Virginia Excavating bid $453,191 and Alan Stone Co. bid $436,256. The engineer’s estimate is $509,990.

Lively said the road is restricted to one lane and the slides are expected to worsen by spring, joining numerous other slips that have plagued the road.

“We’re still dealing with ones from years ago, clear back to 2018, so we’re still playing catchup,” he said.

Heavy vehicles are discouraged from using that road.

Lively said the Federal Emergency Management Agency funded much of the work dating from 2018.

“We had a couple of new slides develop on Fulton Hill. This was back in the spring of last year,” he said, adding that he had applied to the Ohio Public Works Commission for emergency funding.

“We were successful in getting a grant to do those two slides,” Lively said. “We’ve got an 80/20 grant to make those repairs.”

Lively said the maximum grant amount is $454,000.

“It’s a pretty substantial project for these two slide repairs,” he said. “We’re very happy to get some help with these two, because we put a lot of money in Fulton Hill the last few years. Hopefully this is the end of the slides.”

Lively said the bid should be selected and a contract signed by January. He said project completion is expected by May.

Lively said it was unusual to begin a project during winter, but work will begin as soon as possible, weather permitting.

“They’ll put concrete back into the road to make the road repairs, since asphalt’s not available this time of year,” Lively said.

He said the road likely will be closed until repairs are complete.

Belmont County Commissioner J.P. Dutton commended Lively and his office.

“You’ve done a phenomenal job these last few years in bringing in outside funding,” he said.

The commissioners also heard from residents Vincent and Sandy Lewis of Shadyside, who commented on the increase in adoptions from the animal shelter. They and others have attended commission meetings for about a month after several shelter dogs were euthanized. The Lewises asked about the condition of the shelter animals during winter.

The commissioners said all of the animals have been taken inside the shelter. Commissioner Josh Meyer also commended the dog warden and shelter staff for their diligence.