Plans are in motion to make repairs on a bridge in Southeastern Morgan County.
County Commissioners unanimously approved a maintenance engineering agreement for a bridge structure on Davis Road, west of Franklin.
Highway Department Engineer Matt Coultas say Morgan County is only in the planning stage with Benton and Associates. Once the plans are accepted by the State, the project will go out for bid and, weather permitting, construction will start next spring.
Coultas explains why the bridge was closed two weeks ago.
“Timber piles have rotten. We have a number of structures that were built back in the 70’s. The lifespan of timber piling is getting to that point where they are deteriorating. We have two piles on that structure that are less than 20 percent carry capacity,” says Coultas.
Coultas says this could lead to some inconvenience for local farmers.
“There will be some traffic routing around some structures for those in that defined area. I don’t know if it will be any more than a mile or mile and a half,” notes Coultas.
Coultas couldn’t give an official estimate for the bridge, but notes a similar project in Scott County cost $220-thousand for construction.