POLAND — A construction meeting is being planned for the Mauthe Bridge over Yellow Creek in Poland Municipal Forest, which has been closed for almost two years.

Gary Diorio from MS Consultants presented to village council the completed plans this week.

The Mauthe Bridge was built and dedicated in 1956. It was named for J.L. “Pete” Mauthe, former president of Youngstown Sheet and Tube. It served as a way across the creek but time has taken a toll on it.

The bridge was closed to pedestrians in July 2018 after an engineering study showed it to be unsafe. Councilman Sam Moffie even brought a rotted board to a council meeting to show how the nails were raising.

Council approved the replacement of the bridge in July last year, using the original steel beams. MS Consultants also had to make the path a little wider to please government officials.

“The feds asked for the walk to be ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant,” Diorio said. “The bridge [as a whole] is not ADA, but the walk will be three inches wider.”

As for getting the project underway, Diorio said he is ready to schedule the construction meeting. The estimated cost is $86,900.

MS Consultants was also represented by Emily Phillis and Shannon Fergus from the company’s Columbus office. They gave a quick presentation on how they would come up with a strategic plan for the future.

The plan would take into consideration all aspects of the village including parks, trails, the business sector, and more. The plan would paint a picture of what Poland residents, officials, and business owners would want to see in five years. It would then give an action plan to get there.

“The whole process could take from seven months to a year,” Fergus said. “In small villages like Poland, there is normally a high rate of response from the citizens.”

Packets were given to council members to consider.

“My thought is to take this to the strategic planning committee and discuss it,” said village solicitor Atty. Joseph Macejko. “The committee can come up with a recommendation on where council should go with this.”