County commission preps for new bridge project

Nevada Daily Mail

Vernon County Commissioners were on hand Tuesday morning to sign off on paperwork for a new bridge project.

Jason Eckhardt, a representative with Anderson Engineering, presented some preliminary paperwork for bridgework over the Little Osage River at Duck Road, about 1.5 miles north of Horton.

Eckhardt said the project would be a complete bridge replacement.

According to commission documents submitted to MoDOT last year in search of a project engineer, the bridge should run about 108 feet, and could cost up to $460,000. Though the county's use of SoftMatch credits in conjunction with federal funding could cover majority of the cost, making the project cost the county little or nothing.

Presiding Commissioner Bonnie McCord has said in previous bridge construction meetings that the county averages nearly 18 months, from start to completion, for bridge repair and replacement projects. That time accounts for selecting engineering firms, construction companies, planning and actual construction of the structure.

Anderson Engineering is also working with the county on a bridge replacement project over a Drywood Creek Tributary on County Road 725.

The Duck Road bridge project will be one of four bridge replacements the county currently has underway, including the County Road 725 bridge replacement, low water crossing replacement on Stokes Road and a bridge replacement on County Road 2125 over a Horse Creek tributary.