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County engineers describe flood damage and bridge repairs after inspections; low-cost deck treatments recommended for several spans
Summary
A consultant presented results of countywide bridge inspections after recent flooding, identifying four bridges in poor condition, several candidates for epoxy deck sealing, and a small number of bridges likely to require replacement or removal. The county also received a small FEMA reimbursement for emergency work.
Vanessa Victor, a bridge inspector with Altaic (consulting firm), presented the county’s recent bridge inspection results and damage assessment after this year’s flooding. Victor told commissioners the firm inspected the county’s larger structures on a two-year cycle and that the inspection inventory this round included roughly 60 structures that meet federal inspection thresholds.
Victor said four structures were graded in the poorer condition categories and four were in the “fair” category. She recommended preventive maintenance such as epoxy deck seal for multiple structures and noted that epoxy sealing or a low-slab overlay can extend life and delay more costly replacement. “If we're looking to bridge and it has a bad deck, obviously we want to fix that deck before we have all the work deterioration that we have to replace that,” Victor said.
Victor described four structures that sustained notable flood damage; several will be candidates for repair projects to be put out to bid this year. One timber structure was recommended for removal because a nearby structure renders it redundant and the timber element has deteriorated to the point that continued repair is not cost-effective. Another structure has exposed pile and scour; Victor said it cannot remain in that condition before the next spring runoff.
On maintenance options, Victor said a low-slab overlay for a full bridge replacement would run in the “about 500,000, 6 hundred thousand” range (the figure was given by the presenter as a ballpark), while epoxy deck seal costs significantly less and is expected to last 10–15 years in many cases. She also discussed a newer “fog seal” product the state is testing that is cheaper than epoxy but has less long-term track record.
Several structures also were recommended for temporary load posting. Victor recommended a 14-ton posting for one structure where timber caps and decking had deteriorated and said the county will reinspect that structure next year to check the cap condition.
Victor urged the county to consider hydraulic studies for certain flood-impacted crossings before full replacement, because altered hydrology can change appropriate crossing design and could make a replacement more expensive. “Ideally a full hydraulic study and … bridge replacement, but your bridge replacement for this would be skewed… it’s gonna be twice as fast,” she said, referring to higher cost and complexity when a replacement must be skewed to accommodate channel changes.
County staff reported the county has received an initial FEMA payment of $5,200 to cover overtime associated with emergency barricades during flooding; larger FEMA reimbursements are expected for eligible projects. Staff also noted one FEMA project (Tabernacle Bridge on County Road 309) remains open and requires a state extension request because the county will not meet the original February 15 deadline.
Victor’s firm also inspected smaller culverts and sub-20-foot structures (about 15 of them were inspected) and recommended signing and minor safety measures for several of those crossings. Commissioners and staff discussed sequencing maintenance to preserve sufficiency ratings and postpone more expensive replacements.
