Overland Rd. Bridge
The Pottawatomie County Commission approved the advertising of bids for the replacement of bridge MCR17 on Overland Rd..
The bridge, which has one of the lowest sufficiency ratings of all 266 Pottawatomie County bridges, has a projected cost of about $328,933.80.
In discussing this project, Peter Clark, the Pottawatomie County Public Works Dept. director, emphasized to the commission the need to analyze revenue and expenditure levels for the Rural Highway Fund, which pays for most of the county’s bridge replacements.
Clark says that between the Rural Highway Fund’s 2020 starting balance of about $1.9 million, revenue of about $3.5 million and expenses of about $4.1 million, there won’t be much room for other projects, such as necessary bridge work and gravel-road upgrades.
In response, some of the commissioners suggested finding more efficient ways of using road gravel, referencing costs and complaints of roads having too much rock on them.
According to Clark, the county typically allocates about $1 million for road gravel out of the Rural Highway Fund.
The county strives to replace an average of 3.5 bridges per year to keep up the average life cycle of a county bridge, which is about 75 years.
2020 Chip Seal Projects
The Pottawatomie County Commission awarded the 2020-chip-seal-projects contract to Mid America Road Builders for $249,997.
This comes in over budget by about $89,000, but according Clark, the county has more than enough funds for the project due to savings in other areas.
This will mark the first time in county records that such a project has been outsourced.
Clark says doing so will help county staff catch up on other work.
Overall, there are about 20 different locations and about 11 miles of paved road involved in the 2020-chip-seal projects.
In other Pottawatomie County news:
- The commission signed a a tentative agreement with Finney and Turnipseed Transportation and Civil Engineer, LLC. to for $67,100 to perform the Belvue Bridge Rehabilitation Study. This agreement is contingent upon Wabaunsee County formally agreeing to pay for its share, or 17 percent, of the study’s costs.
- The commission signed an agreement with BG Consultants for about $25,000 to perform a preliminary engineering study for the Green Valley Rd. Sewer Interceptor Project.
