ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Belmont County Commissioners voted Wednesday to spend $44,500 for another full bridge inspection program for the county.

The commissioners voted to contract with Popa Consulting LLC on the program, based upon the recommendation of Belmont County Engineer Terry Lively. Commissioner J.P. Dutton said Popa has been conducting full bridge inspections for Belmont County for years, and this contract is an annual appropriation. It will be paid for from the engineer’s motor vehicle and gas tax funds.

“Bridge repair is not usually at the top of mind for a lot of people until the bridge is closed or fails,” Dutton said. “This is an important part of trying to make sure that the county is staying on top of where bridges currently stand from a structural standpoint and getting those repairs done in a timely standpoint.”

It is believed that when the commissioners enter into agreements with Popa Consulting to inspect the county’s bridges, it will allow the bridges to be fixed before getting to the condition that the Blaine Bridge currently sits in. The Ohio Department of Transportation partially closed the Blaine Bridge in July in the hopes of reducing it to one lane while addressing the bridge’s structural issues.

In August, ODOT fully closed the bridge, forcing Blaine residents to make longer commutes to leave their village.

Once ODOT fully closed the bridge several residents formed a committee in hopes of persuading ODOT to open one lane until the construction can begin in October 2026.

Although ODOT originally planned to keep one lane open until the project began, the bridge has deteriorated to the point of being unsafe for residents.

“ODOT will not compromise safety for convenience,” ODOT said in a prior news release. “Initially, the bridge was closed due to motorists traveling in the wrong direction, causing safety concerns. However, due to the continuing deterioration of the bridge, the bridge will remain closed indefinitely until the rehabilitation project is completed.”

In other action, commissioners approved and signed an agreement for engineering services with Hammontree and Associates Ltd. costing $14,550 for the pavement rehabilitation plan of County Road 82, better known as Airport Road.

“This is a project that the engineer has mentioned in the past, one that’s on his radar screen and obviously this is some of the beginning stages going into the engineering to improve that roadway,” Dutton said.

The commission also approved the submission of the ODOT 2024 County Highway System Mileage Certification per Ohio Revised Code 4501.04. The total length of county-maintained public roads in Belmont County was 308.748 miles as of Dec. 31, 2023. Dutton said around 200 miles of that roadway is paved and the other 100 is unpaved.