For the second time in as many weeks, an emergency bridge repair has been approved by the Bartholomew County commissioners.
A wing wall collapsed near the edge of one of the two bridges that crosses Haw Creek along County Road 900E, northeast of Hope, Bartholomew County Highway engineer Danny Hollander said.
“Four to five feet of the road is gone,” Hollander said regarding the damage north of Stafford Road. “There’s a big hole there.”
Wing walls, which are placed adjacent to the abutments of bridges, act as a retaining wall to keep earthen embankments from collapsing.
The commissioners’ approval to hire Franklin-based Duncan Robertson Inc. to make immediate repairs came two weeks after a similar decision was made regarding County Road 800S near Azalia, which was damaged by flooding.
Normally, contractors are required to submit competitive bids to do these types of projects, but that procedure usually takes more than a month.
State law allows the commissioners to forego the bidding process if delays could threaten public safety.
“Someone could drive down the road, go past a barricade, and fall into the hole,” Hollander told the commissioners. “I’d hate to see someone get killed.”
What further complicates this project is that conventional construction methods were never used when the existing bridge was built in the late 1970s, Hollander said.
Although the bridge itself is in good shape, badly fitted steel beams were found in the substructure where concrete should have been used, the highway engineer said.
“I don’t know if those steel beams came off another job,” Hollander said. “But the (substructure) was poorly constructed and, after more than 30 years, finally gave way.”
Since the original wing wall was built in an unconventional method, Hollander said he isn’t sure how much it will cost to make the necessary repairs, or how long it will take to complete them.
Duncan Robertson was hired Monday with a cost-plus contract, which calls for the contractor to be paid for all of its allowed expenses, plus an additional payment to allow for a profit, commissioners chairman Larry Kleinhenz said.
Although critics say such agreements leave county taxpayers vulnerable to price-gouging, Kleinhenz said the Franklin firm has not taken advantage of similar situations in the past.
In a related matter, the commissioners received one of the first major bills regarding the emergency bridge repairs on County Road 800N.
They have agreed to pay United Consulting Engineers of Indianapolis $10,000 for the design work completed in three days immediately after the April 9 emergency regarding Road 800S was declared.
In addition, United will hold $2,500 in reserve just in case additional design work is required to address unexpected problems.
Earlier this month, Hollander estimated repair costs for the 800S bridge at about $150,000. County officials remain hopeful the southern Bartholomew County crossing between U.S. 31 and State Road 11 can be reopened in about four weeks.
