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Engineer: grass fire damaged timber bridge; replacement possible in 2027 if county funds found
Summary
After a major grass fire, county engineers reported timber damage to a local bridge and estimated replacement costs in the mid-hundreds of thousands; officials said federal highway bridge funds could cover replacement but using them would delay other projects, and full replacement could realistically occur in summer 2027 if funded locally.
County engineer Laura Severs updated the Board of Supervisors on bridge damage caused by a recent large grass fire and described repair-versus-replacement tradeoffs.
Severs said the bridge’s wooden back wall and deck were heavily damaged and that heat had warped some steel components. She reviewed the county’s 10-year bridge-replacement program (36 bridges posted or rated below legal load) and asked whether the board would prioritize this damaged bridge ahead of others. She noted that bridge replacement would qualify for federal highway bridge funds, which are available, but that using those funds to replace this structure would push back other bridges in the program.
Severs gave a rough cost estimate based on typical dimensions (50 by 30 feet at about $250 per square foot) and said a full replacement could cost in the mid-hundreds of thousands of dollars, not near $1 million. She said repair work can reopen a bridge sooner but may deliver only half the remaining life of a replacement. If the board provided local funding to bypass longer state or federal processes, construction could occur in the next construction season (engineer estimated summer 2027 as reasonable for a full replacement timeline). Board members thanked emergency responders and discussed potential next steps for funding and scheduling.
