Poland walking bridge at center of concern for village and county

Yahoo

29-04-2025

POLAND, Ohio (WKBN) – The damage to what's known as the 'Graffiti Bridge' over Yellow Creek in Poland was enough to even surprise Mayor Tim Sicafuse.
'It's pretty extensive damage. Trees are blocked up into the bridge and underneath it,' Sicafuse said. 'Obviously, the bridge has changed trajectory. Some of the rails are bent, asphalt's leaning and cracked, so it's something we need to address for sure.'
In addition to the trees piled up against it, the once level span now has a pronounced arch to it and girders underneath with holes in them and guardrail supports that are no longer connected with beams down below.
Mahoning County Engineer Pat Ginnetti said a sewer line runs under the bridge, and both are to be replaced using $636,000 in American Rescue Plan funds that were approved in February 2022.
'The bridge is fully designed. The sewer line's designed. It's at the EPA for approval,' Ginnetti said.
But Ginnetti's concerned the Village has left the bridge open to pedestrians despite recommendations made to close it. In July of 2021, an official with MS Consultants urged the mayor and council then to shut down the bridge and have it replaced. Two years later, Ginnetti emailed the mayor, calling the bridge a 'major safety issue.' Sicafuse said he was aware of the warnings.
'And I still think, until this happened, it was still safe to just walk across. That's why we did not because there's a lot of people on the other side of this bridge that — up and forth and downtown to school thing like that,' Sicafuse said.
Sicafuse said the bridge has been ordered closed. Ginnetti said he is worried the situation could get even worse.
'If the structure comes down and that sewer line goes with it, you're talking a major pollution issue and Yellow Creek leads directly into Hamilton Lake,' Ginnetti said.
For now, it's likely that construction of a new bridge won't happen until this fall at the earliest.
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