COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Crews broke ground Wednesday for the new $32-million Rich Street bridge project. It will connect Franklinton with the downtown area directly instead of having to go to Broad street.
Jim Sweeny with the Franklinton Development Corporation says it will be very much needed when ODOT works on the Interstate 70/Interstate 71 interchange.
Mayor Michael Coleman says it is very much needed.
"First of all, the bridge replaces a bridge that's been here for 100 years," Coleman said.
He also says the bridge will help development of Franklinton.
"There's a lot of vacant and abandoned houses were trying to bring those back, we'll have invested millions of dollars trying to bring those back."
The Rich Street bridge is only about a quarter mile from the Main Street bridge, which is still not completed even though construction started in 2006.
"So far we've spent about $42 million in construction costs for that bridge so it is where we expect it to be in terms of costs," Coleman said.
The Rich Street bridge should be finished by August 2011 -- one year after the Main Street bridge is expected to be open to traffic.
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