By ROD ZOOK
Hutch Post
SOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Work is scheduled to begin on the Scott Boulevard bridge in South Hutchinson in the coming weeks.
According to Don Brittain with Reno County Public Works, contractors will close the road around Friday, July 8 and begin removing the existing structure on July 11, if all goes as planned.
Weather permitting, the bridge could be finished in about one month, but Brittain says the contract allows for up to 60 working days.
The small span became a point of controversy when the city of South Hutchinson claimed the bridge, which had recently had its weight limit reduced by the state, belonged to the county. The county disagreed. Both sides wrestled with the responsibility until coming up with the compromise of the county offering its engineering services and expertise to get the project done at the lowest price, while the city of South Hutchinson paid for the bridge.
The bridge is necessary because it is the only way for county public works vehicles to get in and out of their facility without using South Hutchinson's city streets. South Hutchinson says the heavy traffic is causing those streets additional wear and tear.
Originally, the estimated cost of replacing the bridge was around $700,000, but the low bid on the project ended up being $392,295.
That bid does not include engineering services, which adds another $26,760 to the price tag.