Demolition continues in Tiffin after worker hurt in bridge collapse

TIFFIN, Ohio (WTVG) - Demolition is continuing on the Ella Street bridge in Tiffin after city officials said a worker suffered minor injuries when the bridge collapsed during the demolition process on Wednesday.

“There was a partial collapse yesterday, the person, there was a worker who was minorly injured from our understanding, and they were transported to the hospital, we’ve not gotten any other updates from that, but it’s a minor injury at this point,” said Nicholas Dutro, Tiffin City Administrator.

Workers with E.S Wagner Company were back at work Thursday demolishing the bridge that was built in 1914.

“Did have a rehab at some point we believe the 1970′s but this is a complete replacement of this bridge, it was very necessary, we knew there were weight restrictions on it, it was on our radar to be replaced this year,” Dutro said.

The bridge ranked tenth in the most traveled structurally deficient bridges in congressional District 4 according to American Road and Transportation Builders Association. According to the same report, nearly 4,000 vehicles cross the bridge each day.

“This is in a residential area but it’s right off of State Route 53 as you’re coming into town, there’s a number of people that travel this way to get to the Tiffin Middle School every day, so knowing that there were a lot of logistical challenges we worked through with the Tiffin City Schools so that we could work out there bus routes and we waited until after Memorial Day to begin construction,” Dutro said.

The new bridge has a price tag of five million dollars. Three and a half million came from taxpayers.

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