Dickinson County approves $1.342 million microsurfacing contract, moves to remove burned 1100 Avenue bridge

Dickinson County commissioners on Feb. 12 approved a $1,342,000 contract with Vance Brothers to apply micro‑surfacing to about 22 miles of county roads and heard that the burned 1100 Avenue bridge is being removed as crews work on site.

Public works director Tammy Hill told the board the county will use micro‑surfacing — a thin overlay material — in place of much of this year’s chip‑seal program after a successful test on Fair Road. “They claim that they now can stay on concrete, which in years past that product didn't survive on the concrete,” Hill said, explaining why the county plans a test plot on the bypass and to treat sections of Jeep and Rain roads as part of the contract.

Assistant county administrator and finance director Mark Sorefchild said the project fits within existing highway funding. He told the commission the county’s highway bridge fund is about $2.063 million and annual highway sales tax receipts are roughly $1.7 million, giving “a little under $4,000,000” in funding available for 2026 projects; the microsurfacing contract would come from the highway/asphalt budget.

Crews also began removing the burned 1100 Avenue bridge the same day, Hill said, with a crane and wrecking ball on site. She said Reese Bennett’s crew will demolish and remove concrete and steel, salvage material when possible and install guardrail and posted warnings at the approaches. County staff said the county expects a reimbursement of about $170,000 from KDOT once paperwork is complete because the bridge will be removed from the bridge inventory.

Commissioners approved the Vance Brothers contract by voice vote after the study‑session discussion. The county manager and public works staff said the microsurfacing approach should reduce the amount of hot‑mix asphalt and chip seal needed over the next several years.

Votes at a glance: - Vance Brothers microsurfacing contract (22 miles, $1,342,000): approved (voice vote). - County inventory for 2026: approved (voice vote). - Refuse hauler licensing for 2026: approved (voice vote). - Proclamation naming February as Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month: approved (voice vote). - Appointment of Robin Wolkman to the Judicial Nominating Commission: tabled to a later meeting.

What’s next: Public works will begin the bridge removal work immediately and will proceed with contracting and scheduling the microsurfacing work; staff will return to the commission with any follow‑up as projects progress.