Senator Schaffer Tours Muskingum County Bridges with County Engineer Mark Eicher, PE, PS
July 31, 2020
Tim Schaffer News
COLUMBUS—State Senator Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster) visited Muskingum County on Thursday and toured bridges with Muskingum County Engineer Mark Eicher, PE, PS that were funded by Ohio’s Bridge Partnership program that began in 2013 through an amendment Schaffer carried.
“I want to thank County Engineer Mark Eicher and his crew for taking time out of their day to show me and my staff bridges in Muskingum County that the Ohio Bridge Partnership program helped pay for,” Schaffer said. “This visit was extremely educational and highlighted the importance of this critical infrastructure, especially in rural areas. I am proud to have passed the amendment that allowed for this program to be possible.”
The Ohio Bridge Partnership Program is a $120-million-dollar program that helps counties repair and replace their deteriorating bridges. This partnership is between the Ohio Department of Transportation and local governments.
“I am thankful for the work and dedication of County Engineer Mark Eicher,” Schaffer said. “He does a great job with limited resources and he keeps Muskingum County rolling safely.” Schaffer said the typical bridge he looked at was a $300,000-400,000 structure, paid for by the General Assembly through ODOT.
“These bridges are expected to last at least 50 years, probably longer,” Eicher said. “Muskingum County has the 10th most bridges in Ohio and have benefited greatly from the bridge partnership program. We get grants from ODOT, CEAO, and the Federal government and we have to utilize as much funding as we can to maintain our infrastructure. Without these grants, we would be in much worse shape and not be able to replace structures like the Philo Bridge. I am thankful for Senator Schaffer’s support of the bridge partnership program,” Eicher said.
“It is amazing how the forces of nature--weather, wind, rain, floods--even human traffic with cars and trucks, take their toll on bridges and contribute to the deterioration of man-made structures,” Schaffer said. “But without them, there would be no commerce, no goods moved from factories. Without these bridges, the world around us would be no bigger than about a quarter mile radius,” Schaffer said.
To learn more about Ohio’s Bridge Partnership Program, click here.
“I want to thank County Engineer Mark Eicher and his crew for taking time out of their day to show me and my staff bridges in Muskingum County that the Ohio Bridge Partnership program helped pay for,” Schaffer said. “This visit was extremely educational and highlighted the importance of this critical infrastructure, especially in rural areas. I am proud to have passed the amendment that allowed for this program to be possible.”
The Ohio Bridge Partnership Program is a $120-million-dollar program that helps counties repair and replace their deteriorating bridges. This partnership is between the Ohio Department of Transportation and local governments.
“I am thankful for the work and dedication of County Engineer Mark Eicher,” Schaffer said. “He does a great job with limited resources and he keeps Muskingum County rolling safely.” Schaffer said the typical bridge he looked at was a $300,000-400,000 structure, paid for by the General Assembly through ODOT.
“These bridges are expected to last at least 50 years, probably longer,” Eicher said. “Muskingum County has the 10th most bridges in Ohio and have benefited greatly from the bridge partnership program. We get grants from ODOT, CEAO, and the Federal government and we have to utilize as much funding as we can to maintain our infrastructure. Without these grants, we would be in much worse shape and not be able to replace structures like the Philo Bridge. I am thankful for Senator Schaffer’s support of the bridge partnership program,” Eicher said.
“It is amazing how the forces of nature--weather, wind, rain, floods--even human traffic with cars and trucks, take their toll on bridges and contribute to the deterioration of man-made structures,” Schaffer said. “But without them, there would be no commerce, no goods moved from factories. Without these bridges, the world around us would be no bigger than about a quarter mile radius,” Schaffer said.
To learn more about Ohio’s Bridge Partnership Program, click here.