It has been over 65 years since the Belvue Bridge was built, and Pottawatomie and Wabaunsee Counties have been working to repair the now deteriorating structure that crosses the Kansas River.
A 9 million dollar plan for the project was approved in the early spring of 2022, and county commissioners have attempted to receive federal grant funding for the project multiple times.
Pottawatomie County commissioners met for their regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday, and County Administrator Chad Kinsley had good news to share.
Senator Jerry Moran began seeking these Congressionally Directed Spending dollars in June of last year.
The county is now waiting to receive an updated cost estimate for the project. The federal nature of these funds may inflate costs due to the Davis Bacon Act, which requires certain federally-funded projects to pay workers at the prevailing wage rate.
County Commissioner Dee McKee voiced concerns over Davis Bacon wages, citing issues they encountered during a previous project in Blue Township.
County Engineer Nathan Bergman explained that those issues are unlikely to occur again.
Bergman also anticipates minimal impact from Davis Bacon wages. Many contractors are already paying those wage rates.
The county hopes to receive the updated cost estimate by the end of next week.
