A consultant for Jefferson County summarized the county's bridge inventory and inspection findings for the Board of Commissioners on Aug. 31, saying the county meets federal inspection requirements and has programmed replacements and rehabilitations.

Reed McIntyre of United Consulting told commissioners that the county has 108 publicly owned structures of 20 feet or longer that require inspection under Federal Highway Administration standards and that inspectors completed the most recent cycle last November. "Since it's federally funded, the county is reimbursed for 8% of those inspection contract costs," McIntyre said.

The consultant reported the county is fully compliant with NDOT and FHWA standards. He highlighted key metrics: 3.7 percent of bridges are low-posted, roughly 20 percent of structures are older than 50 years, and only 0.9 percent (one bridge) is on an increased-frequency inspection list; that single bridge is fully designed and scheduled to be let in October. McIntyre also described a rehabilitation list with structures planned for replacement or rehab in future programming, with several bridges on Clifty Hollow Drive scheduled for letting in 2027.

The presentation included an "interactive" digital report on flash drives that links maps to individual inspection reports, condition ratings, photos and maintenance checklists for planning smaller repairs. County highway staff were identified in the presentation as partners in maintenance and rapid response for issues such as low postings.

Ending: Commissioners were invited to contact McIntyre or county staff for further detail; no county vote or action was recorded during the presentation.