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Fayette County OKs engineering agreement to preserve Nulltown Bridge ahead of grant application
Summary
County surveyor secured commission approval to hire SJCA for engineering on the Nulltown Bridge, aiming to use Community Crossings matching grant funds to perform a deck overlay that officials say could extend the bridge's life two decades and avoid a multimillion-dollar replacement.
Fayette County commissioners on Tuesday approved a task order with engineering firm SJCA to prepare design work for the Nulltown Bridge and to position the county for a Community Crossings grant application.
County surveyor Bill Nacke told the commission the engineering work will support a 2027 grant application and construction slated for 2028. Commissioners agreed to divert the county's normal Community Crossings allocation toward the bridge rather than routine paving, with staff saying that approach could prevent a more costly superstructure replacement later.
Nacke and consulting staff described the proposed work as a rigid deck overlay that removes the existing wearing surface and replaces it with a new concrete wearing layer. An engineer on the record said an overlay can slow infiltration and extend the structure's life roughly 20 to 25 years if performed now. Consultants compared the county's risks to a recent six-span replacement project with an estimated construction cost of about $5.6 million and said Nulltown's larger eight-span structure could exceed that figure if full superstructure work becomes necessary.
Commissioners asked about funding and were told the state's Community Crossings program now limits counties to about $1,000,000 per year for combined lane-mile and crossings allocations, so the county plans to prioritize the bridge in the 2028 cycle. The commission moved and approved the agreement with SJCA to start engineering and permit work; the vote was recorded as aye by the three commissioners present.
The job now moves to design, permitting and application steps required by the Community Crossings grant; staff said the county must establish ownership and clear right-of-way issues for related parcels before construction bidding begins. Officials said they will return with grant submittal materials and schedule details as engineering progresses.
