NORFOLK — Madison County is getting help in replacing its dilapidated bridges.
The Nebraska Department of Transportation announced last week that Madison County can use state funds to help replace three structurally deficient bridges through the county bridge match program. County Highway Superintendent Dick Johnson says it’s important to have quality bridges.
“Farmers have to get their good to market and it’s kind of tough to go too far in Madison without running into a bridge,” Johnson said. “You want to make sure they’re all good and will carry the loads.”
Johnson says the county has 36 bridges that are eligible for the program.
“There’s some out there that are on the end of their life,” Johnson said.
That includes this one north of Battle Creek. Johnson says most of the dilapidated bridges were built in the 1930s making them more than 80 years old, and way over the proposed life of a bridge.
But now because of the county bridge match program, this bridge will be replaced this year with a new culvert pipe style bridge, which Johnson says is an improvement.
“They’re virtually maintenance-free,” Johnson said. “We make them long enough so it doesn’t have to have guard rails which helps with today’s big farm equipment going across it.”
The program started when the Legislature set aside $40 million to accelerate the replacement of deficient bridges. The state is putting up 55 percent of costs if the county provides a 45 percent. Johnson says it helps save an already tight county budget.
“We can replace two bridges for the same amount of money it would take (to replace) one,” Johnson said.
