Brown County schedules bridge inspection after hearing state funding options

Brown County commissioners on Monday heard a presentation on state bridge funding options and agreed to an on‑site inspection tour to prioritize which local bridges to seek grants for.

A consultant (Unidentified Speaker S5) told the commission that KDOT has two primary local programs: an off‑system program that targets bridges in poor condition and offers 100% funding for construction and inspection, and a Kansas Local Bridge Improvement Program that is open to more structures but typically scores projects competitively and operates on a roughly 90/10 construction cost split. "These are due February," the consultant told the board when describing the application timeline.

The commission discussed Brown County’s inventory — roughly 193 bridges was cited in the meeting — and focused on a small group of structures with substructure or scour problems, narrow historic trusses and several load‑posted spans. The engineer said the county has about a half dozen bridges rated in poor condition and identified candidate projects that might be competitive for the state funds. Examples referenced in the discussion included a historically significant truss and a long span over the Delaware River that has been narrow and in poor condition for years.

Commissioners pressed for practical steps the county can take short of full replacement. Several members said routine maintenance — riprap, armoring abutments and corrective approach work — could extend service life and improve a bridge’s competitiveness for state grants. The consultant said such mitigation work often appears as maintenance recommendations in inspection reports.

The consultant described application support the firm provides: helping to prepare the two‑page spreadsheet application, conceptual replacement options, and preliminary cost estimates. He said he often assists with applications at little or no cost, but design and construction inspection remain billable services; engineering fees were estimated at roughly 10% of construction cost in the example discussed.

With the KDOT deadlines imminent, the commission agreed to narrow candidates and to conduct a field tour. A motion to authorize a bridge inspection road trip with three commissioners, the county clerk and Tammy (Road & Bridge secretary) carried by voice vote. Commissioners said they prefer targeting projects that serve significant year‑round traffic rather than spending state grant opportunities on very low‑volume farm roads.

Other items on the agenda included updates on an emergency management vacancy (the director is due to resign Feb. 13), digitization of county exhibits and a pending dispatch memorandum of understanding. The board also held a brief executive session to discuss non‑elected personnel duties and compensation and returned to open session saying no binding action occurred.

The next procedural step is for staff and the consultant to identify and refine one or two bridge candidates for each available program and to prepare applications ahead of the stated Feb. 20 deadline.