LISBON The Ohio Department of Transportation has awarded the village $465,000 to replace a washed-out pedestrian bridge that will link the Willow Grove Park to the Greenway Trail.

The grant, awarded last week under the department’s Regional Transportation Planning Organizations program, will cover about half of the total project cost of $930,140.

The new structure, designed for bicyclists and pedestrians, will meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. It will be located north of the site of the former swinging bridge, which was destroyed in a flood in 2004. Lisbon Mayor Peter Wilson said the new fixed structure will be safer and easier to insure than a swinging bridge.

The grant money joins a previous $98,000 award from the state’s operating budget and nearly $17,000 in private donations.

Wilson said Dallis Dawson & Associates performed pre-engineering studies free of charge, which Mayor Wilson says were essential for the grant application.

The village is hopeful it will secure the remaining funds needed for the project next year. Construction could begin as early as the 2027 fiscal year, which starts July 1, 2026. Wilson also noted that the village is applying for several other grants, including one for sidewalks.