Lancaster County approves $1.21 million contract to replace Bridge X84 amid budget concerns

The Lancaster County Board of Commissioners on July 14 approved a contract with JJK Construction to remove and replace Bridge X84 and to remove Bridge C262, with the county’s cost not to exceed $1,213,107.10.

County Engineer Pam Dingman told the board the work will replace Bridge X84 at South 56th Street and Stagecoach Road and remove Bridge C262, and she noted the project is part of the county bridge match program. "We have already accepted $350,000 of grant money to build this bridge," Dingman said.

A commissioner raised concerns about the department’s budget during discussion. "My understanding as I pay attention to local news is there are devastating budget cuts going on in this department," the commissioner said. The commissioner added that, despite news reports, the board had actually increased the department’s budget in recent years and that the cuts and reported crisis need to be investigated. "I'm gonna go ahead and vote for it, but I think we need to get to the bottom of these devastating budget cuts and find out what's actually going on," the commissioner said.

After the discussion the board voted to approve the contract on a roll call. Pam Dingman provided location and project details during the presentation and clarified the grant funding that offsets the county match.

The contract approval authorizes county staff to proceed with the bridge replacement and removal as described; the board did not make additional amendments on the floor. The project will proceed under the terms of the contract and the county’s bridge match requirements.