Marathon runners may not realize the work that went into getting their race route ready.
They will jog over new asphalt on both spans of the All-America Bridge (or Y-Bridge) on Saturday.
The bridge is in the midst of a $6.2 million renovation. Knowing the Road Runner Akron Marathon was coming, Posen Construction, the main contractor, changed the order of the work to make sure both sides were ready.
Workers finished pouring asphalt on the southbound side last week. They had already completed the new deck on the northbound span, which has one
lane open for traffic.
The southbound side will reopen just for the marathon on Saturday and work will resume on Monday. It will not open for traffic that weekend.
Marathon organizers recently inspected the bridge and were pleased with the results, said Travis Capper, an Akron engineer working on the Y-Bridge project.
''It's ready for runners,'' Capper said.
The stimulus-funded Y-Bridge project includes the addition of a fence that — with the parapet wall — will be about 10 feet tall and is aimed at curbing people from jumping to their deaths.
Workers are expected to begin installing the fence on the southbound span, which is the one with a sidewalk, next month.
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com.
