North Royalton residents, especially those living in the southwestern part of the city, should be happy to know that the West 130 Bridge is now open. An announcement that the bridge would be open on August 9 was a bit premature, but it still is ahead of schedule. The bridge is located on West 130 Street, just south of Valley Parkway, and spans the Rocky River.
The August 9 opening announcement was deferred, with the bridge opening on Friday, August 23. The Cuyahoga County Engineers’ Office said the contractor had an issue with obtaining material needed to finish the project. The tube fence, which is a part of the parapet wall, was not finished in time to meet the August 9 deadline. The fence was needed to provide safety to vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
The West 130 Bridge project began on Thursday, February 15, of this year. The project included the replacement of the bridge over the Rocky River. The Ruhlin Company, Cuyahoga County’s contractor for the project, announced the closure of the area around the bridge. At that point, it was expected to take about 210 days, into September, for completion. During that time, West 130 Street was closed to through traffic between Drake and Edgerton Roads.
Motorists who usually traveled on West 130 Street, especially south of Royalton Road (Rt. 82), had to detour to the area from Royalton Road, south to the North Royalton corporate line, causing delays and added traffic, as West 130 Street was closed at Valley Parkway in both directions. Increased traffic had been taking place on Drake Road, Bennett Road, Edgerton Road, Akins Road, York Road and Valley Parkway. These areas should now be freed up, as motorists can go back to the normal West 130 route.
By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer