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Lancaster County engineer warns of rising construction costs, seeks bids for key bridge and road projects
Summary
County Engineer Pam Dingman told commissioners that construction inflation, potential gas-tax payment delays and a long bridge backlog require bidding several bridge projects and buying equipment; she requested authority to bid and noted specific bridges, equipment and federal-aid timelines.
Pam Dingman, Lancaster County engineer, told the Board of Commissioners on May 14 that rising construction inflation and supply-chain delays threaten the county’s ability to complete critical road and bridge work and recommended immediate action to preserve project schedules.
Dingman said construction costs could increase about 50% between 2020 and 2030 and flagged fuel-price volatility and the risk of delayed gas-tax allocations as near-term financing threats. "Even a four- to six‑week hold" on highway allocation could create a multi‑million‑dollar gap, she said.
The engineer reviewed the county’s bridge inventory and near-term needs: Lancaster County has 289 bridges, five rated poor and five categorized as scour‑critical, with several active projects including G‑222 (beams set, expected to reopen by end of June), F‑181, the planned removal of C‑262, and X‑084 (county bridge match). She told commissioners that the county plans to use a grant that reimburses 70% to remove C‑262 immediately and asked permission to bid X‑084 and other projects this budget year.
Dingman outlined equipment and personnel requests to support in‑house work: two motor graders per year, four dump trucks, two CAT track loaders, two John Deere tractors, a backhoe and other items totaling roughly $4.018 million. She also proposed personnel reclassifications (one engineer to level III, two from I to II) and converting a vacant Tech II to a Clerk II to address administrative needs.
On federal projects, Dingman said 12 federal‑aid projects are active and cited work on 98th Street, NW 56th Street, and S. 68th Street; she asked the board to consider reallocating the last quarterly general fund transfer to bridge and special road funds with a budget amendment in June to establish spending authority.
Dingman recommended that the county explore hedging strategies for fuel and continue consolidating telematics and radio systems with the city and state after the SAMSARA telematics contract did not move forward.
The presentation closed with Dingman requesting formal authority to proceed with bids and immediate removal of C‑262 to preserve grant reimbursement and project timing. Commissioners asked clarifying questions; the hearing was informational and did not itself authorize spending beyond the described requests.
The Board will review department budget hearings as a package before making final appropriation decisions later in the budget process.
