Times Leader Staff Writer
WOODSFIELD The Ohio Department of Transportation reconsidered its decision to deny Monroe County’s timber contribution as a part of its match for the reconstruction of the Knowlton Covered Bridge project and will now cover 100 percent of the funding.
Originally, the county was required to contribute a 5 percent match, or $45,000, toward the nearly $1 million ODOT grant. The county was hoping to use a timber donation to fund its portion of the match. It plans to provide the majority of timber needed to rebuild the collapsed bridge’s trusses and was hoping the contribution would suffice as the county’s match.
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Special to The Times
The Monroe County Ohio State University Extension Office is moving closer to construction of its new facility with the project set to go out for bids next week and hopes of beginning construction in the spring.
Mary Jo Westfall, OSU Extension Office associate, met with the Monroe County Board of Commissioners on Monday morning to provide an update on the project. Westfall said she wanted to meet with newly appointed commissioners Diane Burkhart and Bill Bolon, as well as longtime Commissioner Mick Schumacher, to bring the trio up to speed on the progress of the project.
For the Intelligencer
Photo Provided â Rudy Christie, left, a timber specialist, and Hebert Piatt, president of the Knowlton Covered Bridge Parks Board, identify timber that can be used for the covered bridgeâs reconstruction. The timber is located on county owned property in Center Township.
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.