Sawyer County approves $85,000 to buy temporary bridge for Thornapple Grama Road

The Sawyer County Finance Committee voted to purchase a temporary bridge and allocate $85,000 from 2024 surplus forestry revenue to place at the Thornapple Grama Road crossing of the Thornapple River in the Town of Winter.

County staff presented the request, saying the existing bridge had deteriorated rapidly and was closed because it is unsafe. A county staff member explained the temporary structure under consideration is a used, prebuilt bridge priced at $85,000; transportation and installation are estimated at roughly $55,000, producing a total estimated cost of about $140,000 for the temporary installation.

Committee members were told the Thornapple Grama crossing is an important access point to the county forest, and its closure is affecting timber sales and recreation on the county’s largest forest block. Staff said timber bidders face a roughly 40-mile detour that could reduce bids or make some sales infeasible, which prompted the town’s request for assistance.

The Land and Water Forestry Committee and the county Public Works Committee previously recommended participation; the Finance Committee approved a resolution to allocate $85,000 of 2024 surplus forestry revenue to purchase the temporary bridge and retain county ownership afterward for potential future use or rental.

The record in the meeting does not show a roll-call vote tally; the committee approved the resolution by voice vote. Staff told supervisors the county’s forestry revenues were stronger than budgeted in 2024, with forestry receipts described in the meeting as “over $2,500,000” and a surplus above $500,000 available to cover the proposed purchase.

The county plans to hold the temporary structure after it is removed from the Thornapple Grama site so it can be used for future projects or rented to other government units to offset the cost.