Dayton’s Webster Street Bridge to reopen today

DAYTON — Dayton’s new downtown Webster Street Bridge will open this evening after being closed for a year and a half.

RELATED: Webster Street Bridge closes today in Dayton 

The $11 million bridge over the Mad River replaces a 99-year-old structure demolished in early 2016. The new bridge features five traffic lanes, wider sidewalks, observation decks, "sky beam" lighting and roadway improvements at either end.

Funding was provided by the federal Surface Transportation Program, the Ohio Department of Transportation Municipal Bridge Fund, the Ohio Public Works Commission (Ohio Issue 1), and the City of Dayton capital fund.

RELATED: Dayton Traffic 

With an estimated daily vehicle count of 8,000, the bridge is a key connector for downtown Dayton, Tech Town, the Water Street District, north Dayton, and State Route 4.

Webster is the 10th of 11 bridges replaced by the City of Dayton since 2006. The final bridge in the City's replacement program will be the Helena Street Bridge, to open by January 2018.

Montgomery County and the Ohio Department of Transportation have also constructed new bridges in Dayton in recent years, with more planned.

The community is invited to walk the bridge at 6 p.m. A ribbon-cutting ceremony follows at 6:30 p.m.