Vrooman Road Bridge

The Vrooman Road Bridge, a Warren Polygonal pony truss, carried Vrooman Road over the Grand River in Lake County, Ohio.

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The Vrooman Road Bridge, a Warren Polygonal pony truss, carried Vrooman Road over the Grand River in Lake County, Ohio.

History

The original crossing at this location was constructed in 1879. ¹ It was replaced in 1952 with the existing Warren Polygonal pony truss at a cost of $150,000. ⁹ The bridge was rehabilitated in 1980, when the original timber deck and steel stringers were replaced with a new timber deck and asphalt surface. ¹

Despite the rehabilitation, the bridge’s location within the Grand River valley continued to pose problems. ¹ Frequent flooding damaged the approaches and caused severe scouring at the substructure. The bridge closed two to three times per year because of flood events. In mid-2006, a major rain event forced the closure of Vrooman Road for five months due to concerns over the bridge’s structural integrity. Repairs cost $1.5 million. ¹³

On October 2, 2014, the crossing was closed after an overloaded truck damaged steel tension members. ⁸ Cracks were discovered during a biennial bridge inspection, and the bridge reopened after repairs were completed. It closed again in mid-2015 when oversized trucks caused additional damage that required emergency repairs. ³ During that period, a temporary low-level bridge was constructed for motorists. In July 2016, the bridge closed once more for three weeks after oversized trucks caused the abutment seats to collapse.

Replacement

Proposals to replace the bridge dated to the construction of the 1952 span. ¹ Following the completion of a section of Interstate 90 in 1960, it was decided that Vrooman Road would provide direct access between the interstate and South Painesville.

The proposed interchange at Interstate 90 and Vrooman Road drew protest from the county and, shortly after approval, from the state as well. ¹⁰ It would have been the only interchange of its type between the Pennsylvania state line and Columbus. Interstate 90 was originally aligned north of its present location, with plans for an interchange at State Route 307 northeast of Vrooman Road. When the alignment shifted, the interchange was relocated to Vrooman Road to better serve the area, as the nearest interchanges were 13 miles apart. As part of the study, the state estimated that rebuilding Vrooman Road with a new roadbed and a higher-level crossing over the Grand River would cost $7 million.

A 1963 report recommended construction of a two-lane limited-access roadway between Interstate 90 and the proposed North-South Freeway (today’s State Route 2). ^{1 11} The plan called for raising the bridge 12 feet above the floodplain and constructing an underpass at OH Route 84. ⁹ The $649,000 project was not funded.

In 1968, another proposal called for a four-lane limited-access highway from State Route 2 to State Route 86, along with realigning Vrooman Road to the east via a low-level bridge. ¹ The plan also included an interchange at State Route 84 between Madison Avenue and Lane Road. This proposal likewise failed due to a lack of funding.

The Lake County Engineer’s Office revived the project in the early 1980s. ¹ A 1984 report initiated planning-level studies, followed by engineering and environmental studies in the early 1990s. The preferred alternative proposed a 1,700-foot, 80-foot-high, two-lane bridge with a northern connection at Lane Road and a southern connection at Vrooman Road near the top of the southern escarpment. The plan also included partial realignment and widening of the two-lane roadway toward Interstate 90. The estimated cost was $8 million. ¹²

The discovery of Native American burial sites within the project limits halted progress until additional archaeological investigations could be conducted. ¹

Construction

The Vrooman Road Bridge was identified as structurally deficient in 2002. ¹ A planning study initiated in 2003 examined deficiencies along Vrooman Road between State Route 84 and Interstate 90. The study was released by Transystems in 2005 and revised by Michael Baker International in 2008, resulting in a preferred alternative that closely resembled the 1984 proposal. The new bridge and roadway improvements were estimated to cost between $28 million and $32 million, with funding from the NOACA State Transportation Improvement Program and the County Engineers Association of Ohio. ²

On February 19, 2015, the county approved a $27 million contract with the Ruhlin Company. ⁵ Construction began in March but was suspended in June while the county awaited environmental permits for work involving wetlands and the Grand River, a designated Wild and Scenic River. ⁴ Ruhlin subsequently sued the county for breach of contract and negligence, alleging that the county failed to apply for the necessary permits at least one year before the construction start date.

The case was settled shortly before trial in late December 2016. ⁷ The county permitted Ruhlin to exit the contract and transferred responsibility for the bridge and roadway project to the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT).

Construction of the new Vrooman Road Bridge began in the fall of 2018 and was substantially complete by the spring of 2020. ¹⁵ The project included the reconstruction of approximately two miles of existing Vrooman Road and was finalized in September. Following completion of the new bridge, the superstructure and center pier of the former crossing were removed. ⁶ A pedestrian bridge was constructed at Mason’s Landing Metro Park on the footprint of the original Vrooman Road Bridge. ¹⁴

The Vrooman Road Bridge received multiple honors in 2020. It was awarded the Outstanding Transportation Project Award by the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE). ¹⁵ The bridge also earned the Outstanding New Major Bridge Award from the Association for Bridge Construction & Design (ABCD), representing the Central, Northeast, and Southwest Ohio Chapters. In addition, it was recognized nationally by Roads & Bridges magazine, placing seventh in its 2020 Top 10 Bridges Award competition.

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Gallery

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Details

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Sources

1. Purpose and Need for the Vrooman Road Bridge and Roadway Improvement Project. Michael Baker Jr., 27 June 2011.
2. “Vrooman Road Bridge, Lake County.” Ohio Department of Transportation, article.
3. “Vrooman Road Bridge.” Lake County, Ohio – Engineer, article.
4. Read, Tracey. “Settlement negotiations halted for Vrooman Road bridge dispute.” News-Herald [Westlake], 30 Oct. 2016.
5. Hutchison, John Arthur. “Vrooman Road bridge replacement contract awarded.” News-Herald [Westlake], 20 Feb. 2015.
6. US Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District. Public Notice. 29 Oct. 2014.
7. Cass, Andrew. “Lake County commissioners approve settlement agreement with Ruhlin Co. over Vrooman Road bridge project.” News-Herald [Willoughby], 30 Dec. 2016.
8. Elszasz, Amy. “EMERGENCY CLOSING-Vrooman Road Bridge.” LakeCountyOhio.org, 3 Oct. 2014, article.
9. Kirkman, Don. “$649,000 To Correct a Road Muddle.” Akron-Beacon Journal, 16 Jun. 1963. pp. 1A-2A.
10. McIntyre, Bruce. “$150,000 Interchange for Beat-Up Road!” Akron-Beacon Journal, 7 Feb. 1960. pp. 1A-2A.
11. “County studies 4th Lakeland-90 link.” News-Herald [Westlake], 26 Jun. 1963. pp. 1.
12. Kuehner, John C. “Bridge will span river, hurt view.” Plain Dealer [Cleveland], 28 Apr. 1993. pp. 1B.
13. “Communities.” Plain-Dealer [Cleveland], 23 Nov. 2006. pp. B3.
14. “Vrooman Road Bridge.” Michael Baker International.
15. “Vrooman Road Bridge.” Great Lakes Construction Company.