In Monday’s regular bimonthly meeting, Kent County commissioners met with representatives of the Abilene district office of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to hear options regarding repair, replacement or abandonment of three substandard bridges in the county.
TxDOT bridge engineer and design engineer Tracy Jones, who presented the report, reminded commissioners that three of the county’s bridges had been deteriorating, according to periodic inspections, and three now merit attention.
Two of those, over Cooper Creek and Mackenzie Creek in the southern part of the county, are high priorities for heavy oilfield traffic, noted county judge Jim C. White
The other is a 1934 steel pony truss bridge over Duck Creek, near Girard, treasured by many for its history and scenic character but seldom used these days.
“We’re trying to be responsible here,” remarked White to the court, “spending money on what just has to be spent, while preserving a little bit of the historical.”
Safety, convenience of travel, shortest access for emergency vehicles, and ongoing maintenance concerns are factors with any of the structures, as well as the source funds to build or replace bridges.
After hearing a thorough report with maps and inspection data, Jones and TxDOT employees Mike Roetehli and Megan Mayfield fielded numerous questions.
Regarding the one-lane Duck Creek (Woodson) bridge, which is currently load-zoned for a maximum 10,000 pounds or 5,000 pounds per axle, the options were clear.
• Replace the bridge entirely, at am estimated cost of $2.4 million, 10 percent of which would be borne by the county in addition to some $336,000 in engineering costs.
• “Monument” the bridge, closing it to any traffic except pedestrians and leaving it in place while building a new approach and bridge downstream, with a cost comparable to the above plan.
• Retain the bridge with minimal repair for preservation purposes, closing it to any traffic except pedestrians, without constructing a new bridge. Such a plan, commissioners, determined, would render CR 112 useless to any vehicle traffic, resulting in a dead end on both sides of Duck Creek.
Repairing the existing onelane bridge to make it passable by any vehicle is not an option from TxDOT’s standpoint, said Jones, since highway department resources are dedicated only to bridges that meet current safety and traffic standards— and the Duck Creek’s bridge limited width can’t handle modern agricultural equipment even if the desk and superstructre were to be brought up to standard.
Jones made it clear there could be no further significant state/federal funding to repair theis bridge unless a new one were built.
TxDOT doesn’t want to “put money into a bridge where the load zone can’t be removed,” said Jones.
A compromise was floated after an hour’s discussion, when the question was raised regarding a low-water crossing over the creek rather than a bridge. The TxDOT engineers were hopeful that such a plan might be approved, and would cost the agency and the county minimal funds.
A low water crossing plus minimal repair of the Duck Creek bridge was estimated at $800,000 total, with TxDOT covering some portion of that.
To enact such a plan, the county would need to secure right of way from the landowners on both sides of the creek, as well as pursue monumentation of the pony truss bridge. Judge White reported after a phone call with one of the landowners that there might be objection to the plan.
The remainder of the TxDOT audience was devoted to considering the two bridges on CR 316, one of which, the Cooper Creek Bridge, is evaluated as 4.5 – 5 condition, or “poor,” range and has a hole in the deck that has been previously patched.
Judge White also said that the bridge on TX 208 between Clairemont and Snyder 3 miles north of Clairemont is slated for replacement starting in November 2022; traffic in that area will be detoured for 12 months.
While the fate of the Duck Creek/Woodson bridge does not have to be decided immediately, a decision about the county’s priority for application to the bridge repair program must be made soon, in order to not miss a biennial cycle for federal highway funding.
White requested further information from the Abilene TxDOT office in advance of the next commissioners court session, July 25.
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