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Grant County reopens Fords Mill Road bridge after inspection; weight limits lifted
Summary
Grant County Fiscal Court reported the Fords Mill Road bridge at the Folsom–Jonesville Road passed inspection and has had all posted weight limits removed after in-house emergency repairs; county officials said the work significantly reduced replacement costs.
The Grant County Fiscal Court announced June 17, 2025, that the Fords Mill Road bridge at the Folsom–Jonesville Road end passed state inspection and that previously posted weight limits have been removed.
The announcement came during the court’s regular meeting when the judge executive reported that state engineers notified the county the bridge “passed all inspections” and that all weight restrictions were lifted. The judge also praised the county road department for completing an in-house emergency repair that restored traffic while longer-term work proceeds.
County officials said the bridge had been reopened to traffic before the formal weight-limit notification; the judge said the county had kept a 30-ton posting in place until receiving official word from the state. The judge credited bridge inspector Gary Cochran and the road department for completing the repairs and said the county’s in-house work likely saved the jurisdiction a substantial sum in replacement costs. "They probably saved us $6,070,000," the judge said in the meeting record.
Officials said weather slowed some work because of rain delays but that the repair included a new bracket system designed to allow single-beam replacement if necessary in the future. The judge said engineers installed brackets so a damaged beam could be swapped without tearing out the whole structure.
The judge also described follow-up steps for other county bridge projects. He said the county contacted Compass (engineering firm) and spoke with engineer Mike Yeager to prepare a streamlined proposal to assist the county with hydraulic testing and other requests from the state. County staff, including Joe Gordon, participated in a conference call to coordinate next steps; the county expects some of the engineering fees to be reimbursable.
With the bridge reopened, road crews have switched to mowing and road-patching work in the affected area, officials said. The county did not provide an exact schedule for any additional inspections or the final report from the state engineers.
For now, the bridge remains open to traffic with no posted weight restrictions; officials said they will pursue engineering support as needed and expect reimbursements for allowable costs from state emergency funds.
