County engineer recommends $150,000 short-term repairs for S. Bridge; longer-term replacement could cost millions

Valley County engineer Dan Goetz told the Board of County Commissioners on March 24 that the S. Bridge is functionally constrained by narrow deck width, abrasion of the driving surface and corrosion of in-water piles, and recommended a short-term repair program he estimated at about $150,000.

Goetz said the bridge currently measures about 22 feet between inside curbs; removing about a foot of curb on each side would provide roughly 24 feet of roadway, and removing curbs entirely would expose about 26 feet. He warned, however, that the bridge has steel piers in the water showing corrosion and “significant abrasion” of the deck that has exposed rebar. He also noted two pressure sewer lines serving Tamarack are attached beneath the structure and that power or communications lines run across the bridge, meaning any work must be coordinated with utility and sewer authorities.

The short-term package Goetz proposed would include sawing back portions of the curbing to gain width, tapering approaches, repairing guardrail connections and applying an epoxy or protective spray to…