CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Ross County commissioners approved nearly $578,000 in contracts to rebuild the superstructures of two rural bridges and set an Aug. 17 start date for the next phase of the county courthouse restoration, according to minutes from the board’s Aug. 3 meeting.
The board hired The Ohio Bridge Corp., doing business as US Bridge, for two separate projects. A $232,931.80 contract covers the Mt. Tabor Road bridge on County Road 186, with work due to be complete by May 14, 2027. A second contract, worth $345,490.54, covers the Rozelle Creek Road bridge on County Road 184, about 0.35 miles west of U.S. Route 23, with a completion date of July 16, 2027, the minutes said.
Commissioners also met with staff from the courts of Judges Ater and Schmidt, the Ross County Sheriff’s Office, architecture firm Schooley Caldwell and Berglund Construction to kick off the next phase of the county’s ongoing courthouse restoration. That phase includes painting the building’s bell tower and installing a new roof, with work expected to begin Aug. 17, according to the minutes. Commissioners approved $350,000 in July for a related part of the same restoration project covering the courthouse clock tower and a new weathervane.
In other business, commissioners accepted the county’s 2027 tax budget following a public hearing that drew no comments, and approved a $609,319.71 payment to TAM Construction Inc. for continued work on the SR 104 sewer project, the minutes said. The board also approved a professional services agreement with GeoFlight LLC to provide GIS services to county offices, excluding the auditor’s office, at $60 an hour for up to 600 hours through the end of 2026.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Ross County Board of Commissioners.
