WATERVILLE – With a little more than a month left before the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) seeks bids to demolish the 118-year-old Roche de Boeuf Interurban Bridge, a volunteer group is seeking another reprieve from Gov. Mike DeWine.
“We’re still fighting to save our bridge,” said Save The Bridge Association (STBA) President Barb Bruno, addressing Waterville City Council on Feb. 9. Bruno, along with STBA member Janice Braida and Secretary Dave Weber, encouraged council to sign a letter of support in asking DeWine for an extension.
On April 7, 2025, DeWine issued a one-year halt on the demolition of the bridge, just days before ODOT was set to seek bids. In following months, the STBA was formed as a 501c3, with volunteers focusing on finding alternatives to demolition, including new construction methods for preserving the 12-arched bridge, grant funding and nominating the structure for Historic Civil Engineering National Landmark Status with the American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE)…