In the spring of 2025, storms drenched the Tri-State, leaving structural damage across the region.But for one bridge in Williamsburg Township, repairs are still not complete, leaving residents with plenty of questions for county officials.Severe weather damaged the bridge along Bethel Concord Road, leading to an emergency closure effective April 11, 2025.The Clermont County Engineer's Office cited "deterioration of the headwall" following an inspection of the infrastructure. Residents were told that the bridge would be closed "until further notice."But more than one year later, bridge damage and "Road Closed" signs are still visible.Hear what the county engineer has to say about the emergency bridge closure in the video below: Clermont County engineer addresses concerns over year-long bridge closureWhen the bridge closure was announced, a detour was put into place. Those who lived north of the bridge had to continue to Concord Hennings Mill Road, then to State Route 133.The detour is 5.46 miles long, according to the county engineer's office. WCPO met with Alex Applegate, a Williamsburg Township resident who lives just north of the bridge closure."Did you expect 'until further notice' to mean over a year?" we asked."No ... it sucks," Applegate said.Applegate described what traffic is like in front of his home."It just makes it harder. If we want to go to Bethel, we gotta go the long way around. And it causes a one-lane road to become way overpopulated with cars," Applegate said.Applegate said he's reached out to the county engineer's office about the timeline for a replacement project.Clermont County Engineer Jeremy Evans said his office has looked into possible temporary fixes, but they weren't viable due to the damage the bridge sustained. He said the bridge will have to be replaced."I do appreciate (residents) patience. I know it's hard. We're all affected by detours every year, in various places. This one has been longer than we would've liked, just again the nature of the circumstances that we found ourselves in here, it's just the way it's been," Evans said.A bridge replacement was scheduled for 2027, but storm damage last year expedited that plan, according to Evans.Evans said any bridge replacement requires a survey, a hydraulic analysis, a geotech analysis and a design. A design has already been completed.Evans said his team is currently working with a property owner in the area to acquire an easement. The next step would be to get the project out for bid."By the time we get under contract, and get all those documents taken care of, probably a month or two, that process before construction starts, and then I think were looking at about a 60-day construction window," Evans said.Evans said he expects a "summertime opening" later this year.The county engineer's office posts updates on ongoing projects and closures to its Facebook page. ...read more read less