Commission clears KDOT-managed Walnut-area bridge for August letting; county share estimated

County road and bridge staff briefed Crawford County commissioners on a KDOT-managed bridge project about one-third of a mile east of Walnut and asked for approval to proceed to the letting (bid) stage. Staff said right-of-way purchases, utility relocations and preliminary engineering are complete and KDOT seeks county confirmation so the project can be advertised for construction bids. Staff reported the state will pay $900,000 toward hard construction costs; county costs for locally eligible items—including utilities, fencing and right-of-way—were presented as estimates and the presenter said roughly $164,000 of local match would be expected at current estimates, though the final county obligation will depend on actual bid results. The presenter also noted approximately $90,000 in combined local costs for specific items (fencing and other early expenses). KDOT staff aimed to start letting on Aug. 20, and county staff said the work would be charged against federal exchange and county road funds that have been built up for bridge projects. Commissioners moved and seconded a motion to allow the state to proceed with the letting and to commit county staff to the pre‑letting steps. The motion was recorded in the meeting but a roll‑call vote was not read into the transcript. Staff said the county will use accumulated federal-exchange funds and city–county highway allocations to cover the county share and that final obligations depend on bid results.