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Madison County plans bridge-first construction at Gandell Road and Old Kent Road intersection
Summary
Benchmark Engineering briefed the Madison County Board on an MPO-funded intersection project that prioritizes two bridge works; conceptual bridge designs expected in May, with right-of-way acquisition to follow and bridge construction advertised late 2025 for an early-2026 start.
Matthew, a project engineer with Benchmark Engineering, told the Madison County Board that work on the intersection of Gandell Road and Old Kent Road will prioritize two bridges before the intersection reconstruction.
“We're moving forward with the plans on the, not only on the intersection but the bridge as well,” Matthew said, reporting that topographic, boundary, hydrologic and utility surveys are complete and that hydraulics and geotechnical reports for the bridges have been finished.
The project, one of two Madison County Local Public Agency (LPA) projects awarded through the metropolitan planning organization (MPO) process, is split into two phases: bridge work and the intersection reconstruction. Matthew said the environmental review for the bridges is under way and that Benchmark expects to complete conceptual bridge designs in May. Once conceptual design is finished, the county will establish right-of-way needs and begin acquisition, he said.
Matthew said the project affects seven parcels at the intersection and that officials plan to acquire parcels related to the bridges first, with any remaining parcels acquired as part of the intersection phase. He said bridge hydraulics were completed last week and that the geotechnical reports returned this quarter.
A board member asked whether the work would widen the existing spans or replace them. “We'll be widening the one to the west, and we're replacing the one to the south,” Matthew replied, identifying a west-side bridge and a south-side bridge near the intersection. The board member asked about traffic management during replacement; Matthew said the team is evaluating detour options, phased construction approaches and a southwest-quadrant route that could be used during work.
Matthew told the board the schedule remains unchanged: the county plans to advertise the bridge construction late this year with construction to begin in early 2026, and the intersection reconstruction to follow next fall. He emphasized coordination with adjacent projects to the west and east and ongoing communications with utility providers.
Tim, a county staff member who introduced the update, and Matthew both noted coordination with other engineering teams working on nearby segments. Matthew said utilities and environmental work will be key components before the bridges can go to bid.
Next steps identified for the project are finishing conceptual bridge designs in May, completing right-of-way determinations, beginning acquisition for bridge parcels, continuing environmental review and preparing the bridge contract for advertisement later this year.
No formal vote or motion was recorded on this item during the meeting.
