GOSHEN — A construction project at the Monroe Street bridge has been postponed until after the Elkhart County 4-H Fair this summer.

Elkhart County engineer Tom Rushlow said Friday, March 8, that utility infrastructure, including an overhead power line, a city water main and a nearby gas line, needs to be relocated before the project can begin. Northern Indiana Construction Co. Inc. has been hired to replace the Monroe Street bridge’s beams and widen the structure by 16 feet. The city of Goshen plans to add a trail for pedestrians and bicyclists to the bridge as well.

The project has been delayed until after the fair, which will run from July 19-27, so the construction will not interfere with traffic from the event. The Monroe Street bridge is located west of the fairgrounds over Rock Run Creek. Construction is slated to begin Aug. 5 and last until early December.

Meanwhile, a similar project is expected to begin this summer in Elkhart. Rushlow said the bridge on Simonton Street over Christiana Creek will be closed for about three months to replace the structure’s beams and deck. He said construction on the two-lane bridge may begin in mid July.