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County to apply for state grant to replace Bill Lewis Bridge, commit $75,000 engineering match
Summary
At a special-called meeting Aug. 28, county officials approved applying for a state bridge replacement grant for the Bill Lewis Bridge, agreed to retain engineering firm QK4 and committed up to $75,000 for engineering work if the grant is awarded.
At a special-called meeting Aug. 28, the county court approved applying for a state grant to replace the Bill Lewis Bridge and agreed to retain engineering firm QK4 to prepare the application and design work, with the county committing up to $75,000 for engineering costs if the state approves the project.
The project estimate provided in the meeting was $965,656.38 for a full bridge replacement; officials said the county’s liability for engineering work is $75,000, “less than 10% of the project.” A county official told the court that QK4 agreed not to bill the county if the state does not award the project.
Why it matters: officials said engineers rate the Bill Lewis Bridge among the worst in District 12 and that the bridge could be shut down if not replaced. Court members noted that replacing the bridge without state assistance would overwhelm the county’s road budget and that the replacement would preserve access to about nine homes in the area.
Discussion and details: a county official said the state inspects the bridge and that the county has applied to a state replacement program; that application needed to be submitted by the next day. The official said staff had tried to limit up-front engineering costs while pursuing the grant and had worked with engineers for several months. "If we don't get the project, they won't be billing on their end," the official said of QK4's offer not to charge if the grant is not awarded.
Matt, a county staff member, said engineers listed the bridge as one of the worst in District 12 and that the state controls the right-of-way for a temporary low-water crossing, which would allow access during construction and avoid work in the water.
Shane Caudill, the county road foreman, and county staff attended training to apply for the program, officials said. Jeremiah Willington was named in the meeting in connection with QK4.
Formal action: the court voted to proceed with applying for the state grant, to enter into the contract with QK4 to prepare engineering work contingent on award, and to commit up to $75,000 toward engineering costs if the project is approved. The motion was seconded and approved by the court.
Next steps: staff were directed to submit the grant application before the stated deadline and to proceed with QK4 on engineering tasks if the state accepts the project.
