The historic Germantown Covered Bridge has been under construction since March. Flooding temporarily halted work in May, but the City says construction is on track to finish in November.

Germantown service operations manager Charles Wirrig said in a statement that the current schedule has November 30, 2026, as the project end date.

Twisted Pretzel Detour
This weekend’s Twisted Pretzel Ride, which usually routed bikers through the historic bridge has had to amend its routes due to the bridge closure. The races will start on N Main Street this year and end on N Plum Street.

Significant Investment in Preserving History
Due to work by the City of Germantown dating back to 2022 to secure funding, nearly all of the cost of the $1 million Covered Bridge construction will be covered by grants.

Funds are coming from the Ohio Department of Transportation through the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission, the State of Ohio through the General Assembly’s capital budget, and Montgomery County Community Development Block Grant funds. ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds will also be used by the City, as well as the City’s general fund to cover remaining costs.

The Righter Company, Inc., out of Columbus, Ohio, will be completing the construction and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) will be managing the project (with City staff closely involved).

Historic Renovation
The historic Germantown Covered Bridge is undergoing renovation designed to address structural concerns and support the longevity of the community landmark. This work will allow the bridge to be once again eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.

According to the Ohio Department of Transportation, the renovation includes installation of new white oak floor beams, the replacement of overstressed or substandard truss elements, and replacement of the roof. A mesh and cable railing will also be added to meet safety requirements while minimizing visual impacts to the structure. The existing bowstring suspension system and stone abutments will be retained. By limiting replacement activities to only deficient and substandard features, the project will retain approximately 93% of the original bridge fabric.

Flooding Held up Construction
According to WHIO, Dayton had 6.74 inches of rain May 17-24, making it the 12th wettest seven-day stretch in history and the wettest ever recorded in the month of May.

As part of the ongoing work on the Covered Bridge, crews installed a walkway under the bridge that caught debris as the creek rose. Trapped water and debris then rose onto the streets on both sides of the bridge.

East Center Street saw around eight inches of water that flooded homes near the Covered Bridge, flowed down Water Street and temporarily caused the closure of SR 725.

ODOT workers removed the debris and continued construction, stating at the time the flooding caused only a minor delay.

The TWIN CREEK TIMES will continue to follow this project as it concludes this fall.

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