Willard Bridge Under Budget

From the Capital Journal:

Replacing the aged Willard Bridge in rural Shawnee County could be done sooner and for nearly $6 million less than expected.

Tom Flanagan, deputy director of public works, briefed the public and Shawnee County Commissioners on Thursday about the progress of the multi-million dollar project spanning the Kansas River. Crews have been working since early last year and by contract are required to finish by Dec. 1, but Flanagan said it’s likely the project will wrap up sooner. About 70 percent of the total construction is complete, he said.

“I’m going to hold them to (the Dec. 1 deadline) but I’m hoping we can beat that by at least a couple months,” he said.

Commission Shelly Buhler, who lives in Rossville, north of the bridge, said she’s heard from many who are happy with the project. Willard Bridge has been a concern since 2009 when a commission reported said that if one of the bridge’s eight steel pins failed, it would collapse without warning.

“In the coffee shop, they tell me they’re pleased with the progress,” Buhler said.

In June, Carlson Road and the old bridge will close so crews can connect the road to the new bridge. The closure should last no longer than 90 days, Flanagan said. A marked detour, about 25 miles long, will lead people around the bridge to another crossing.

The old bridge, which was constructed in 1955 and has several structural deficiencies, is still open to traffic with a weight limit. Reinforcements were added on the north bank of the river, but Flanagan stressed that the weight limit is 9 tons.

“We still have a lot of violators,” he said.

The commission approved a little more than $24.7 million for the bridge in 2015, but since the beginning it has been under budget. A.M. Cohron & Co returned a bid of about $16.028 million, and with design and other fees of about $2.6 million, Flanagan said he expected the total cost to be between $18 million and $19 million.

“We saved some big bucks,” he said

The update came after Carol Marple inquired during public comment about the bridge’s status.

“The rumor mill was alive and well about closing the bridge,” she said.