ASHTABULA, Ohio — After more than 100 years, many in Ashtabula are arguing it's time to replace or overhaul the Lake Avenue Bridge, citing falling concrete and severe rust on the structure.
Last year, Peter Scardino filed a complaint with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.
"It’s replete with rust and falling concrete, cracking sidewalks; it’s just in tremendous disrepair," Scardino said. "Look at the rust – you can just stick your hand through where steel should be."
The bridge currently carries five tracks for CSX trains.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio investigated the bridge from last June to this past March. The report detailed how an inspector observed damage to the bridge and concrete falling onto the sidewalk below. After notifying CSX, the inspector detailed that no repair work had been done during that time frame.
However, the report went on to say the damage does "not impact the structural integrity of the bridge" and classified the issues as "maintenance deficiencies."
"I don't think it’s safe for the trains," Scardino said. "I don’t think it’s safe for vehicles to travel underneath it. I don’t think it's safe for people walking."
Ashtabula City Manager Jim Timonere shares the concerns and told News 5 has taken the issue to Washington, D.C. to his congressional representative, the Federal Railroad Administration and the Surface Transportation Board.
"Do I think it’s going to fall tomorrow - no," Timonere said. "Do I think they need to do some serious work to this thing? Absolutely. I just hope they’re going to create a plan to replace this thing. It’s 1909. We’ve all seen what failing infrastructure does around the country. I really think it’s time they address this bridge."
Last year, Timonere also asked ODOT to review the bridge, which inspectors gave the underpass a Superstructure condition rating of "3 - Serious Condition," and noted issues with the substructure conditions that should be addressed by CSX.
Timonere noted the bridge's proximity to the county's largest hospital just up the road and voiced his concern about what would happen if he had to shut down the road because of an issue with the bridge.
"If something happened here and was like you saw in East Palestine, our hospital is right up the road," he said. "Not only would we be evacuating citizens, we're evacuating the hospital, and where are we going to take people?"
A spokesperson for CSX sent News 5 the following statement:
Safety is the number one priority at CSX, and the company focuses first and foremost on maintaining the safety and structural integrity of the bridges on its network.
Bridges and structures across the CSX rail network follow strict guidelines for inspection and maintenance, are overseen by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and are among the safest parts of our network.
All CSX railroad bridge structures undergo a thorough examination at least once each calendar year, which meets or exceeds regulatory requirements. The Lake Avenue bridge in Ashtabula, Ohio, literally carries our business and has been determined safe for railroad operations."
Scardino continues to push for repairs to avoid a worst-case scenario.
"I don’t know what their definition of what safe is - It’s not that, certainly not that," Scardino said.
"It comes down to at what point do I have to stop traffic going underneath it," Timonere added. "What else can we do to force them to take a hard look at this bridge and come up with a plan?"
Clay LePard is the Ashtabula, Geauga and Portage counties reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @ClayLePard, on Facebook ClayLePardTV or email him at Clay.LePard@wews.com.
