Ohio 568 bridges to reopen soon

FINDLAY — Two bridges on Ohio 568 east of Findlay, which were closed for restoration in recent months, will be reopened by Aug. 1, state officials said Monday. The closings have frustrated numerous motorists from Findlay who are used to traveling on Ohio 568 to reach Riverbend Recreation Area. Riverbend-bound motorists from Findlay can bypass the bridge closings by turning south onto County Road 237 from U.S. 224 (Tiffin Avenue). County Road 237 ends at Ohio 568, where motorists can turn left toward Riverbend. The $2 million in improvements to the two bridges began in May, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) said. The work includes overlaying the bridge decks, replacing the approach slabs and deck edges, and patching and sealing concrete surfaces: • One bridge is over the Blanchard River and located between Township Road 234 and County Road 236. • The other bridge is farther east and over Glauner Ditch between County Road 236 and County Road 237. The bridge over the Blanchard River has stood strong since 1931. It is one of the first "continuous-design steel girder floorbeam bridges" developed by the state highway department, ODOT reported. The design, knowin as the "Ohio girder," was widely used in the 1930s-1950s due to its strength and cost-effectiveness. "Although the bridge's road surface, concrete deck, railings and abutments were replaced in 1991, the original steel beams and piers remain strong," ODOT reported.