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Adams County approves application to seek $2.93 million in bridge safety funds
Summary
County commissioners authorized staff to apply for a state-administered safety grant to install soft-stop attenuators on about 50 bridges; the project estimate is $2,929,518 with an anticipated local match of roughly $292,000 (10%).
Adams County commissioners on Aug. 13 voted to allow staff to apply for a state-administered safety grant aimed at improving guardrail and bridge-end safety on county roads.
The county’s presenter told the board the application would seek funding for impact-attenuator (soft-stop) systems on about 50 bridges countywide. “The total project cost we’re estimating at about $2,929,518,” the presenter said, adding the program is structured as a 90/10 grant that would require a local match of roughly $292,000 if fully funded.
Staff said the proposed work focuses on sites with at least a 40-foot right-of-way and excludes locations where right-of-way is too narrow. The presenter said he has obtained a determination from MDOT that the proposed locations meet grant eligibility and that he has solicited letters of support from Adams County Farm Bureau, Adams County Soil and Water Conservation, and the local Economic Development Corporation.
Commissioners asked about the type of device proposed and whether the county would adopt a new standard design. The presenter described the soft-stop system as a narrower-profile attenuator that “slows the vehicle” and reduces the risk of guardrail penetration, and said adopting the system as a county standard could be advantageous for the agricultural community because of the narrower profile.
The applicant said the state made $50 million available through this competitive program and that he planned to submit about 50 separate bridge applications on behalf of the county to increase the chance of receiving some awards. He cautioned that not all applications would likely be funded at once and that projects must be deliverable within the program’s schedule.
Commissioners approved a motion to allow staff to submit the application. The presenter said staff will return with updates after the state’s awards announcement.
Next steps: staff will complete and file the grant application, and the county will confirm the specific bridges included if funding is awarded.
