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Commissioners approve larger bridge‑inspection contract, OK historical analysis for Bridge 188
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Summary
The board approved a four‑year bridge inspection contract whose total rose to roughly $481,413.50 because of added inspection requirements and more bridges in the 12‑month cycle; commissioners also signed a separate contract to fund a historical alternatives analysis for Bridge 188, an estimated two‑year process that requires SHPO review.
The Jennings County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a four‑year bridge inspection contract that county staff said rose to about $481,413.50 because of expanded federal inspection requirements and additional bridges added to the 12‑month inspection cycle.
Derek Cole, who presented the contract to the board, said federal changes require inspectors to follow roughly "80 new things" in inspection checklists, increasing the time and cost of each inspection. "If they find one piling that has been deteriorated, I have to measure that and tell exactly how much they lost," Cole said, describing the greater detail now required by federal and state procedures. He said the federal/state program will cover about 80% of the bill and the county would pay the remaining 20%.
Commissioners asked about the contract increase and how inspections are scheduled. Cole said inspection frequency varies by bridge condition and age: some bridges require annual inspections, others are inspected every 24 months, and certain older bridges are on a 12‑month cycle. "You have a large number that need to be replaced within the next, probably, five or six years," he said, urging early scheduling to get projects through state review.
Separately, Cole presented a historical bridge analysis for Bridge 188—an 80/20 contract split—intended to identify preservation options and narrow repair costs. He said the historical analysis will require review by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), public hearings and additional review cycles, and estimated the analysis could take about two years to complete. "Conservatively, it could be up to about two years," Cole said, noting potential back‑and‑forth with state reviewers.
The board signed the required pages of both contracts after brief procedural questions about signature pages and documentation. Chair (speaker 1) and commissioners moved and seconded the motions; both votes were unanimous. The county will forward the bridge inspection contract to the state to begin the inspection schedule and will return to the board as the historical analysis proceeds and public hearings are scheduled.
