The Ohio Department of Transportation is completing construction on a $8.9 million multi-use bridge across U.S. 68 in Xenia. The goal is to make it easier to access Great Council State Park. But there’s more that’s unique about this project.
The new pedestrian and bicycle-friendly bridge will connect the Little Miami Scenic Trail to the Shawnee Interpretive Center at Great Council State Park. This new landmark increases the need, said Kathleen Fuller from the District 8 office at the Ohio Department of Transportation.
Great Council is the newest state park in Ohio — and the only one built in collaboration with the three federally recognized Shawnee tribes.
“It is important that we build this bridge to move the people from one side to the other, to get them from that bypass over to the Interpretive Center,” Fuller said. “[It’ll] keep things more safe for them, as well as for drivers on the roadway.”
The interpretive center features history and present-day stories about Shawnee peoples, who resided in the Ohio River Valley before they were forcibly removed in the 1800s. The aesthetics of the bridge were also designed in collaboration with the three tribal nations.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine proposed the idea for a state park honoring Shawnee heritage about six years ago. Once the plan to build it was finalized, ODOT staff connected the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to the three federally recognized tribes to collaborate on the features of the park. DeWine was also onboard with building the bridge, said Jason Watkins, tribal liaison with ODOT.
“[It’s] almost like a gateway to the state park. You drive under this thing on 68 and there's a state park next to it, [it] should speak to one thing: ‘hey, stop here,’" said Watkins.
It will have similar features, colors and decorations. But they didn’t want the bridge to take on its own life separate from the park.
“Instead of introducing something brand new to the area that was disconnected to… the designs within the state park that were decided and chosen by federally recognized tribes, we decided to keep it together so [it] would tie in together,” Watkins said.
But it won’t share all the same colors: Watkins said they had to stay away from rust browns because it could prevent safety staff from distinguishing weathering and rust from the colors of the bridge.
People will notice the construction, said Fuller. ODOT is currently excavating dirt to build the walls of the bridge. The bridge is scheduled for completion in 2027, according to the Department of Transportation's website.
