County Orders Bridge Closures, Reduced Load Limits

ALLISON – New bridge closures, weight restrictions and the county’s 2026 courthouse holiday schedule were approved by the Butler County Board of Supervisors during their Dec. 2 meeting.

The board adopted a resolution, establishing courthouse holidays for the 2026 calendar year to align with state and federal schedules. The approved holidays include New Year’s Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The resolution also specifies that when a holiday falls on a weekend, it will be observed on the preceding Friday or following Monday.

County Engineer John Riherd provided an update on the results of routine bridge inspections conducted by Calhoun-Burns & Associates. Following the report, supervisors approved Resolution No. 68-2025, which establishes new bridge postings and closures based on inspection findings and federal review requirements.

As part of the resolution, one bridge in Ripley Township was ordered closed, while another bridge in Monroe Township will be posted with reduced weight limits for truck series and all vehicles. The resolution allows the county engineer to remove postings without further board action once bridges are successfully rehabilitated or replaced. Riherd also reported that painting work on T16 is expected to be completed next spring.

In other business, the board approved county claims for November totaling nearly $500,000, covering expenses across multiple departments including secondary roads, public health, information technology, law enforcement, courthouse operations and public utilities.