James E. Seney, Executive Director of the ORDC, said WESTCO will contribute $200,000 toward the project. The Indiana & Ohio Railroad (I&O), which operates on the route, will contribute $500,000 and Springfield-Clark County Transportation Committee, the metropolitan planning agency for the Springfield area, will contribute $1 million toward the project.

Seney said the old bridge is nearing the end of its useful life and lacks adequate clearance for truck traffic on the road beneath it. He said there have been 30 occasions since 1995 where trucks have struck the bridge, compromising its integrity. He added that building a new bridge would eliminate the need to reroute train traffic. Seney said rerouting would add 12 miles and an hour’s time to a train’s trip. There are 37 crossings along the Detroit to Cincinnati rail corridor that would be affected.

The I&O has estimated it will need to reroute trains for 90 days during construction. Completion is scheduled for the end of next year. The railroad carried an average of 69,827 carloads a year over the bridge through the end of 2002.

"This project is in line with our mission of increasing safety and facilitating the movement of traffic in an efficient manner," said James E. Betts, ORDC Chairman.