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County adopts bridge‑priority resolution and five‑year road and bridge plan
Summary
Benton County adopted a bridge‑priority resolution to pursue MDOT and federal funding for structures rated under the local planning index threshold and approved its five‑year CIP with timing adjustments to avoid inspection and permitting overloads.
Benton County’s board adopted a bridge‑priority resolution March 17 and approved the county’s five‑year road and bridge capital improvement program (CIP) for 2026–2030.
Interim county engineer Steve Bakowski explained the Local Planning Index (LPI) used to prioritize structures for state and federal funding; structures with LPI under 60 are eligible for certain grant programs. He identified County State Highway 4 bridge 05515 (LPI ~41) as a high priority that will move to plan development and grant application work. The resolution authorizes staff to begin planning and grant development to pursue replacement funding when available.
Engineering staff also walked the board through recommendations to shift several reclaim, mill/overlay and federal projects into 2027 to avoid inspection and permitting bottlenecks and to coordinate bridge and roadway work efficiently. The board approved the CIP with those timing adjustments and asked staff to keep the board apprised of funding opportunities and bidding schedules.
Next steps: staff will start grant applications for priority bridges, issue bid postings for low‑voltage and security contracts tied to the government center project, and bring plan authorizations to the board as grant opportunities develop.
