The long-overdue replacement of two rural bridges east of Ogilville will have to wait until next year.
For three years, Bartholomew County officials have acknowledged that Bridge 188, located along County Road 400W, just south of County Road 550S, has been in disrepair. Bridge 189, located just 800 feet away on the same road, also needs extensive work or replacement.
With the exception of State Road 58, County Road 400W is considered one of the busiest north-south roads west of Interstate 65 in southern Bartholomew County, county highway engineer Danny Hollander said.
In early 2018, the county agreed to pay $145,400 to the Columbus-based engineering consulting firm Strand Associates, Inc. for design services on the two bridges. But that was the same year that three costly emergency road closings had to be made.
As a result of the unexpected closings, a number of projects that include the two bridges along County Road 400W were temporarily tabled.
Then came more delays caused by a lack of skilled labor, as well as escalating prices for road and bridge materials, Hollander said.
Concern was expressed a year ago regarding the wetlands in the vicinity of the two bridges that cross East Fork White River, Hollander said. While it was hoped these concerns could be addressed without further delays, recent feedback from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management indicates delays are unavoidable.
A few weeks ago, it was determined that the wetland situation means motorists will have to wait until next year’s construction season to see both bridges along the Ohio-Wayne Township line replaced, Bartholomew County Commissioners chairman Larry Kleinhenz said.
“We had to make a decision about funding, so we will have to pay close to $80,000 either in mitigation, obtaining bank credits or creating wetlands ourselves,” Kleinhenz said.
Although county officials have expressed frustration in the past when the discovery of wetlands delays projects, IDEM emphasizes that water-saturated ground serves a very important purpose.
More than one-third of America’s threatened and endangered species live only in wetlands, which means they need them to survive, according to the IDEM website. More than 200 species of birds rely on wetlands for feeding, nesting, foraging, and roosting, the website states.
Due to their ability to naturally store and filter nutrients and sediments, wetlands help to make lakes, rivers and streams cleaner and drinking water safer, according to the website.
Bridge 188 was found to be dangerous during a routine bridge inspection late last spring. While repairs completed in June are temporary, the 50-year-old bridge should be safe to carry traffic for another year, Hollander said.
The commissioners have approved a $296,397 contract with United Consulting Engineers to allow the Indianapolis firm to perform all county bridge inspections over the next two years.
In the past, these contracts have been good for four years, but the Indiana Department of Transportation has been pressuring counties to enter into two-year agreements, Kleinhenz said. The federal government pays 80% of all bridge inspection costs.
“The amount of our bridge inspections seems like a lot of money, but it is a federal mandate,” Kleinhenz said. “And it seems we do find a dangerously inefficient bridge (every year).”
