The Starke County Commissioners will open bids for two scheduled and one emergency bridge replacement at their Monday, July 7th meeting. Highway superintendent Rik Ritzler is is working with a design firm to finalize plans for the emergency bridge replacement on County Road 700 East over the Yellow River. The road has been closed since a tree struck the bridge earlier this year. Ritzler says the project will be considerably less expensive than originally anticipated.
“I thought it was going to cost $150,000 for the repair. It came in at about $45,000,” Ritzler told the commissioners. The reconstructed bridge will be able to open to full traffic, including farm vehicles. It’s still scheduled for replacement in 2018. He adds plans for the bridge will be finalized and sent to the commissioners for review prior to their June 16th meeting.
Ritzler also presented plans and cost estimates for two of the other four bridges scheduled for replacement this year. One is on 900 south just west of 100 West over Bogus Run, and the other is on 800 East over Eagle Creek, just north of 50 South. He hopes they will come in under budgeted estimates like they did last year so the county can save even more money. The commissioners unanimously approved the designs and bid specifications for both bridges.
