Clinton Township will apply for a $50,000 grant from Butler County to aid in replacing the deck of the Victory Road bridge.

Supervisors voted to seek the grant during their meeting Wednesday, May 8.

The grant in question is a “use fee grant” funded by the $5 local use fee imposed on each vehicle registered in Butler County. Funds from the grant can be used only for transportation infrastructure projects, with bridge rehabilitation being a major focus, according to the grant guidelines.

“It’s a program that was created through the Butler County commissioners, and it's intended to support transportation projects countywide,” township manager Ashley Kohley said.

Kohley said the bridge replacement project is going ahead even if the township does not receive the grant, but the $50,000 would help.

An recent bridge inspection report was discussed during the meeting. Kohley said the inspection doesn’t say anything the township doesn’t already know.

“Beams one and nine are failing,” Kohley said. “There's damage to the existing decking, but the rest of it is still usable. It’s still rated for the load.”

Earlier this year, the township accepted a $130,900 bid from Ohio company U.S. Bridge to replace the deck. It was the only bid submitted.

The plan is for demolition of the bridge deck to begin in late July and for work on the new bridge to begin in August, assuming there are no delays in procuring and transporting materials. Kohley said there are no plans yet for how to redirect traffic around the worksite.