From the Capital-Journal:
Shawnee County Commissioner Bob Archer on Thursday called for the closure of the structurally deficient Willard Bridge in northwest Shawnee County.
Reading from a report commissioned by the county, Archer described the dangerous deterioration and gaping holes in the bridge, comparing it repeatedly to a Minnesota bridge that collapsed in 2007.
“I want to go on the record saying I think we should close the Willard Bridge to all traffic beginning October 1st,” Archer said.
Archer’s comments came near the end of a two-hour meeting and immediately after Public Works Director Tom Vlach gave a presentation showing no further deterioration of the bridge had occurred since an update one month ago.
“The bridge is still safe,” Commissioner Kevin Cook said before Archer’s remarks. “It has not had further deterioration.” “That is correct,” Vlach responded.
“I must respectfully disagree with Commissioner Cook,” Archer said as began reading from the county’s June 5 application for a federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER, grant. In making the case for why Shawnee County deserves millions of dollars in federal funding to replace the Willard Bridge, the application bleakly details its deterioration.
“The bridge has the same fracture critical design as the I-35W Mississippi River Bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis, Minnesota to devastating consequences in August of 2007,” the report states.
“Compounding the issues related to the fracture critical design, there is substantial rusting in the superstructure of the bridge,” the report continues. “In many areas, there are series of holes that span over a foot long. Cracks in the copes appear near every floor beam in the substructure. Piles of rust debris show that the bridge is disintegrating.”
As the county’s chief engineer, Vlach has the sole responsibility of closing the bridge whenever he deems it unsafe, a duty he said “wears on my mind a lot.”
“You don’t know how much I wish the decision to close or not close the bridge didn’t fall on me. But it does, by state statute,” Vlach told the commission.
Commissioner Shelly Buhler, a Rossville resident who represents those most directly affected by the bridge, admonished Cook and Archer for not taking an interest in the bridge’s deterioration last year.
“I wish this would have been a priority of this commission last summer. I really wish we would have given it priority then,” Buhler said.
Vlach said his department is driving over the bridge “almost daily” and monitoring the worst portions of the bridge.
“We will get some indication that something is going on in advance,” Vlach said.
“This commission does not want a catastrophic event under its watch,” Archer responded.
“Neither do I,” Vlach said. “We all have the same opinion.”
Cook recalled a text message he received May 19 informing him a bridge had collapsed. While the text was referring to a pedestrian bridge at Heartland Park Topeka racetrack, Cook said his mind went first to the Willard Bridge.
“My heart sunk,” Cook said. Cook said he has spoken to residents near the Willard Bridge who continue to drive combines and farm equipment across it, despite a weight limit barring all but passenger vehicles and emergency vehicles. The commissioner advised warning residents of the dangers they face in disobeying the weight limit.
“We don’t have the ability to monitor the traffic on the bridge 24/7. We just don’t,” Archer responded. Buhler asked Vlach to rely on facts and the opinions of engineers in making his decision.
“The impact that will have on communities is huge,” Buhler said. “So there are other things that have to be thought of and are being thought of.”
Before the debate over closing Willard Bridge began, Vlach said he anticipated the county will know by the end of September whether it will be awarded a TIGER grant. He thanked U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins and U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts for issuing a letter of support for the TIGER application.
“That’s a really big deal, for them to come together,” Vlach said.
Vlach also told commissioners that the Kansas Department of Transportation had agreed Thursday to advance Shawnee County between $7 million and $10 million in interest-free loans for replacing the Willard Bridge. “That is tremendous news,” Vlach said, adding that he was “shocked” by KDOT’s decision. “That alone puts us in an extremely good position.”
Projections given to the commission Thursday show design for the new Willard Bridge will be completed by the end of the summer and construction will begin in February 2016. The new bridge is expected to open by the start of 2018, according to Vlach’s projections.
Reading from a report commissioned by the county, Archer described the dangerous deterioration and gaping holes in the bridge, comparing it repeatedly to a Minnesota bridge that collapsed in 2007.
“I want to go on the record saying I think we should close the Willard Bridge to all traffic beginning October 1st,” Archer said.
Archer’s comments came near the end of a two-hour meeting and immediately after Public Works Director Tom Vlach gave a presentation showing no further deterioration of the bridge had occurred since an update one month ago.
“The bridge is still safe,” Commissioner Kevin Cook said before Archer’s remarks. “It has not had further deterioration.” “That is correct,” Vlach responded.
“I must respectfully disagree with Commissioner Cook,” Archer said as began reading from the county’s June 5 application for a federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER, grant. In making the case for why Shawnee County deserves millions of dollars in federal funding to replace the Willard Bridge, the application bleakly details its deterioration.
“The bridge has the same fracture critical design as the I-35W Mississippi River Bridge that collapsed in Minneapolis, Minnesota to devastating consequences in August of 2007,” the report states.
“Compounding the issues related to the fracture critical design, there is substantial rusting in the superstructure of the bridge,” the report continues. “In many areas, there are series of holes that span over a foot long. Cracks in the copes appear near every floor beam in the substructure. Piles of rust debris show that the bridge is disintegrating.”
As the county’s chief engineer, Vlach has the sole responsibility of closing the bridge whenever he deems it unsafe, a duty he said “wears on my mind a lot.”
“You don’t know how much I wish the decision to close or not close the bridge didn’t fall on me. But it does, by state statute,” Vlach told the commission.
Commissioner Shelly Buhler, a Rossville resident who represents those most directly affected by the bridge, admonished Cook and Archer for not taking an interest in the bridge’s deterioration last year.
“I wish this would have been a priority of this commission last summer. I really wish we would have given it priority then,” Buhler said.
Vlach said his department is driving over the bridge “almost daily” and monitoring the worst portions of the bridge.
“We will get some indication that something is going on in advance,” Vlach said.
“This commission does not want a catastrophic event under its watch,” Archer responded.
“Neither do I,” Vlach said. “We all have the same opinion.”
Cook recalled a text message he received May 19 informing him a bridge had collapsed. While the text was referring to a pedestrian bridge at Heartland Park Topeka racetrack, Cook said his mind went first to the Willard Bridge.
“My heart sunk,” Cook said. Cook said he has spoken to residents near the Willard Bridge who continue to drive combines and farm equipment across it, despite a weight limit barring all but passenger vehicles and emergency vehicles. The commissioner advised warning residents of the dangers they face in disobeying the weight limit.
“We don’t have the ability to monitor the traffic on the bridge 24/7. We just don’t,” Archer responded. Buhler asked Vlach to rely on facts and the opinions of engineers in making his decision.
“The impact that will have on communities is huge,” Buhler said. “So there are other things that have to be thought of and are being thought of.”
Before the debate over closing Willard Bridge began, Vlach said he anticipated the county will know by the end of September whether it will be awarded a TIGER grant. He thanked U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins and U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts for issuing a letter of support for the TIGER application.
“That’s a really big deal, for them to come together,” Vlach said.
Vlach also told commissioners that the Kansas Department of Transportation had agreed Thursday to advance Shawnee County between $7 million and $10 million in interest-free loans for replacing the Willard Bridge. “That is tremendous news,” Vlach said, adding that he was “shocked” by KDOT’s decision. “That alone puts us in an extremely good position.”
Projections given to the commission Thursday show design for the new Willard Bridge will be completed by the end of the summer and construction will begin in February 2016. The new bridge is expected to open by the start of 2018, according to Vlach’s projections.
No comments:
Post a Comment