The Columbiana County Fairgrounds has a new entrance thanks to an old bridge. 

The Bowstring Arch Bridge was built in 1872 on the lower end of Market Street in Lisbon, OH. It remained in service until 1966. The 103-foot long bridge was removed and stored on the County Garage property for 51 years. 

Now, the bridge has been rehabilitated and has a new home at the Columbiana County Fairgrounds. 

"We were just looking for years for the right spot to put it and this was it," said Columbiana County Engineer Bert Dawson. 

It has been made into a pedestrian walkway between the fairgrounds and the camping area. 

"The planning started in 2010 to try and figure out how to get this thing done. The bridge and the construction phase went fairly well, fairly rapidly once we got it started," said  John Wolf of the Columbiana County Agricultural Society. 

Dozens of people gathered at the bridge Wednesday night for a ribbon cutting ceremony. The public took their first steps across the refurbished historic bridge. 

The project was made possible by grants and donations. 

It has been in the works for seven years. 

The Columbiana County Fair runs from July 31st to August 6th.