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County approves small bridge change order and advances several bridge replacements as fuel costs rise
Summary
Commissioners approved a $5,049 change order for the Alsbury Chapel Road bridge to replace an unbidded metal pipe and heard a detailed road-and-bridge report on completed repairs, upcoming BRO bridge projects and the impact of rising diesel and asphalt costs on future work.
The St. Francois County Commission approved a prime contract change order for Brock Miller adding $5,049 to the Alsbury Chapel Road bridge project to cover a pipe replacement that was not included in the original bid.
“...we replaced that before we laid the asphalt. That way, we wouldn't have to come back and cut it out,” Brian, the county road-and-bridge official, said during discussion of the change order. Commissioners noted the pipe was a metal pipe, approximately 18 inches in diameter, and that replacing it prior to paving avoided future rework. The motion to accept change order number two for Brock Miller carried.
In a broader operations report, Brian told the commission crews recently completed finishing work on reopened bridges, installed two large pipes (reported as 40-inch/42-inch by 32 feet), repaired a failing masonry box culvert after storm damage, and completed pothole patching across multiple roads. He said prison crews helped remove several hundred pounds of roadside trash and mechanics maintained county equipment.
Brian also outlined progress on BRO (bridge replacement off-system) projects: design drafts for two Silver Springs bridges and one on King School Road are with an engineering firm and should be submitted to the Missouri Department of Transportation within about a month for review; Hayden Creek (off Route 8) is undergoing environmental study and engineering work.
He warned that rising diesel and asphalt prices are affecting project planning, citing diesel at roughly $4.90 and gasoline around $3.66 in-state averages. He said the county uses a rule-of-thumb estimate of about $100,000 per mile for paving but that final costs will depend on market prices and bid results.
The commission accepted the change order and heard the road-and-bridge report; no additional votes were taken on the broader projects during the meeting.
