County hears MDT plan to replace three Old Highway 10 bridges; commissioners press on detour route and road repairs

Jacob Brosler, presenting project details to the Treasure County Board of Commissioners, said the department is proposing to replace three bridges on Old Highway 10 by installing culverts and that the bid notice is scheduled for Oct. 1 with a contract time of 60 working days.

"My name is Jacob Brosler, and I'm here to talk about our project to replace the 3 bridges on Old Highway 10 out here and particularly the detour," Brosler told the commissioners. He said the contractor's special provisions will identify specific county routes for the detour and that "MDT agrees to repair any damage to these sections of road resulting from the increased detour traffic." He added that if paving cannot be completed by winter, the contractor will place gravel to reopen travel and return in spring to finish paving.

Commissioners pressed on which roads would be eligible for repair and whether the county would be compensated for wear on other routes drivers might choose. One commissioner said the county needs "some compensation or some kind of assistance from state or something" to help offset extra maintenance when heavy truck traffic is diverted onto local roads during harvest season. Brosler confirmed the repair obligation applies to the routes listed in the special provisions and that alternate routes could be discussed and approved with corresponding repair conditions.

The discussion covered practical concerns: a one‑lane bridge on Sunrise Trail was reported with a five‑ton weight limit, and commissioners and residents warned that farmers and haulers frequently pick the shortest or most convenient route, which may not match the formally designated detour. Brosler said the department can adjust the sequence of operations and the listed detour, and he proposed emailing the revised special provisions to commissioners for written approval ("approved as discussed") to document the county's consent to the chosen detour.

Why it matters: the project affects local agriculture and county maintenance budgets. Commissioners emphasized that even with formal repair promises for a listed detour, drivers often use alternative roads; damage to those unlisted roads would not be covered under the current special provisions unless the county and department agreed to revise the detour list.

Next steps: Brosler said he would revise the special provisions to reflect the agreed detour language (Bench Road to Sarpy Creek Road in place of Sunrise Trail in the draft), email the revision to commissioners, and proceed with advertising on the Oct. 1 schedule. The board did not take a formal recorded vote on the detour text at the meeting; staff will confirm the final detour language by email and document any subsequent approvals.