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Inspector urges caution on Knockley Bridge; commissioners weigh boxcars, load limits
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Summary
A caller identified as Adam told Treasure County commissioners that several girders at Knockley Bridge show crushed bearings and rot at beam ends, recommending reinforcement screws or temporary boxcar decking and urging posting or detours for heavy loads. Commissioners authorized staff to seek temporary materials and to warn heavy haulers to detour.
Adam, a consultant who called into the Treasure County commissioners meeting, told the board the Knockley Bridge has multiple girders with crushed bearings and rot at the ends of timber beams, a condition that can worsen and may lead to sudden splitting failures.
"There was, like, 8 out of 14 of them that had a crushing bearing," Adam said, describing visual findings and hammer tests that revealed deterioration at beam ends. He recommended long threaded screws to reinforce beam ends and proposed placing two railroad boxcars or steel beams as a temporary superstructure to spread loads until a longer-term fix is possible.
The recommendation drew questions from commissioners about risk and timing. Adam said the deficiency is commonly a slow failure but warned that a splitting failure adjacent to crushed bearings can be sudden. He told the board his limited field work supported a low‑grading analysis and that the bridge could reasonably be posted in the 4‑ton range; he suggested a pragmatic posting of 5–10 tons depending on how conservative commissioners want to be.
Commissioners pressed on practicalities: whether screws could be installed with water in the ditch, how boxcars should be set on abutments and whether a moisture barrier was needed under a railcar to prevent accelerated corrosion. Adam advised installing a filter fabric or other moisture barrier where a railcar would contact soil and urged the county to track the structure closely if they use a temporary fix.
Board members also discussed detour impacts after they heard state plans to use county roads as detours for a larger US‑10 project. Adam said counties sometimes secure pre‑ and post‑construction gradation surveys and can request compensation or require contractors to restore gravel/detour routes; he cautioned the state could deny such requests but encouraged the county to document roadway impacts.
After discussion the board authorized staff to pursue leads for suitable boxcars or steel members and to negotiate purchases within reason if a good, time‑sensitive deal appears. The commissioners also agreed to inform local heavy haulers and landowners that heavy loads should avoid the bridge while the county finalizes a temporary plan.
Next steps: staff will look for available railcars or beams, obtain cost and installation estimates, and report back to the commission. The board directed staff to pursue a plan that minimizes taxpayer exposure and to seek any compensation from the state for detour impacts where appropriate.