Long-closed bridge to be replaced this spring

Nicole Garner/Daily Mail Jason Sivils, a consultant with Great River Associates, points out the location of a bridge replacement in southeast Vernon County. The current bridge has been closed for two years, and the replacement project is expected to be completed this summer.

Nevada Daily Mail

A bridge on the border of Vernon and Cedar counties that has been closed for about two years will soon be replaced.

The Vernon County Commission approved replacement of the dilapidated bridge at a pre-construction conference on Wednesday. Located close to Montevallo, the bridge crosses Wilkey Creek on the county line in southeast Vernon County.

The Missouri Department of Transportation condemned and closed the bridge nearly two years ago because of settling and sinking issues. When open, the current bridge was unable to accommodate more than one lane of traffic.

The existing bridge over Wilkey Creek will be removed and completely replaced. Great River Associates, the consulting and engineering firm managing the project, has subcontracted work with a construction company to begin this spring.

Work is expected to start in March and finish midway through June, but start and completion dates could vary due to weather.

County Commissioners Neal Gerster and Bonnie McCord said that the bridge replacement would essentially be at no cost to the county. Previous work on other bridge and road projects in Vernon County qualified the county for Soft-Match, a federal program that allows counties to receive credit for 80 percent of the funds spent on bridge projects.

These credits can then be applied to other bridge projects, leaving only 20 percent of the funds for the county to cover. In the case of the bridge over Wilkey Creek, the remaining 20 percent will be funded by the state Off-System Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Program.

Together, these credit programs will save the county around $222,300 for the bridge replacement project.

Presiding Commis-sioner Bonnie McCord said that because the bridge fell on the border between Vernon and Cedar counties, the commission originally solicited Cedar County for financial assistance. However, she said attempts to create a partnership on the project were unsuccessful.

Upon completion this summer, the new bridge should span 74 feet and accommodate two lanes of traffic over the creek.