Pathway from Richland Avenue bridge, Old Heating Plant closed

Ohio University Facilities Management officials closed the pathway leading to the Richland Avenue bridge between the Old Heating Plant and the Life Sciences building construction site yesterday for safety concerns.

Ted Fares, OU director of engineering services and technical support, said officials immediately closed the path after finding concrete failure in an underground tunnel during a routine inspection.

Traffic on the path is minimal because the Life Sciences building on West Green is not open yet, Fares said. But officials closed the path to pedestrians and vehicles to prevent injury to those who use it.

The path will remain closed to pedestrians and vehicles for two months, Fares said. A temporary pedestrian path is being built to bypass the area, but automobiles will not be permitted there until the tunnel has been reconstructed.

The tunnel completely will be replaced within two years, Fares said. The project will cost about $800,000. A construction company has not been contracted yet.

 

—Sara Bisker