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Bridge inspection flags corrosion and load limits; council seeks estimates for repair or replacement
Summary
A bridge inspection presented by EJ rated the deck and substructure satisfactory and the superstructure poorer, identified corrosion and a hole in a beam web, and found the bridge may not meet load standards for some emergency vehicles; the council asked staff to obtain cost estimates for renovation, superstructure replacement and full replacement.
EJ presented the town's bridge inspection report and a load-rating analysis at the Somerset work session, describing structural concerns and options for next steps.
"The bad news there is that...for the most current class of vehicles...our bridge does not meet the minimum load," EJ said, adding that, as a result, "fire trucks are not necessarily supposed to go on the bridge at all." EJ said the inspection rated the deck and the substructure a 6 (satisfactory) and the superstructure a 4, and that inspectors observed moderate to severe corrosion, section loss at beam ends and a hole in a beam web.
Inspectors recommended prioritized repairs (high-, intermediate- and long-term), suggested an inspection schedule, and provided a load-rating analysis showing limits on current vehicle classes. EJ told the council that renovation and targeted repairs would address corrosion but likely would do little to raise the load-rating enough for heavy emergency vehicles; raising the load rating materially would require replacing the superstructure or a full bridge replacement. A replacement would also allow the town to redirect runoff from the adjacent parking lot, which EJ and council members said is causing erosion and worsening beam damage.
Council members discussed the trade-offs. Debbie, a council member, argued for replacement so emergency response vehicles could reliably cross: "We should be able to get a fire truck across our bridge." Other members asked staff to obtain estimates for renovation, superstructure replacement and full replacement and to include an estimate for installing a gate if the council wanted to restrict access.
No formal decision or funding vote occurred. The council directed staff to return with cost estimates and additional technical information (including which emergency vehicle classes local providers use) so members can choose among the options with full cost comparisons.
The work session then proceeded to procedural business and adjourned.
