The newest episode of the Environmental Technical Assistance Program or ETAP Podcast focuses on the historic bridge inventory, evaluation, and preservation plan put together by the Ohio Department of Transportation and how other state DOTs can implement similar efforts based on that plan.
[Above photo by the Ohio DOT]
The ETAP podcast – a technical service program for state departments of transportation provided by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials – explores a wide array of environmental topics that affect transportation and infrastructure programs.
In this episode, Erica Schneider – assistant environmental administrator for Ohio DOT – and Tom Barrett, Ohio DOT’s historic bridge program manager and state byways coordinator, explain the importance of preserving, relocating, or restoring historic bridges as they attract tourists, create economic opportunities, and offer a way to strengthen a sense of community for towns and cities statewide.
[Editor’s note: For an example of how bridges and byways provide tourist opportunists and historic connections, check out the Ohio DOT video below.]
Ohio is home to more than 500 national registered-listed and historic bridges, constructed with a vast array of materials, including iron, steel, stone, concrete, and wood.
Recently, Ohio DOT completed a historic bridge inventory update for all 9,086 bridges built between 1961 and 197, with seven determined to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and one considered an early example of environmentally sensitive structural design.
To listen to this podcast, click here.