by Kevin Lilly
ROYAL CENTER — The Cass County Highway Department’s goal is to finish two county-funded bridge replacements west of Royal Center this year.
LaPorte Construction Co. workers recently knocked out the small structure over Fredericks Ditch on Center Street while a crew from the same company is within three weeks of finishing the bridge that carries 650N over Strubhar Ditch just east of 900W.
“Things are really starting to take shape now,” Jeff Smith, the county highway department’s project manager, said of the bridge on 650N.
New beams were put in place by a crane Wednesday, and the concrete deck that is replacing the steel grating is scheduled for pouring on Tuesday, as long as the rain holds off. Already workers are dealing with sloppy, muddy conditions.
In one of the loudest portions of the projects, Royal Center area residents will hear a seven-ton diesel hammer driving new bridge pilings some 45 feet into the ground.
Smith is hoping to get the approaches to both bridges down before asphalt plants close for the winter. With the 650N structure expected to be finished shortly after Thanksgiving, that should not be an issue, but in a worst-case scenario, the Center Street bridge would have gravel approaches until spring, he said. The rest of the project is on schedule for opening in six weeks.
Both bridges were in need of repair. Abutments had started to lean and were sinking into the ground. They dated to the 1930s, Smith said.
The county determines a bridge needs to be replaced by the state-required inspections that are conducted every two years.
Each bridge is costing the county about $270,000.
The new bridges have a life expectancy of between 60 and 80 years, if they’re properly cared for, Smith said.
• Kevin Lilly is news editor of the Pharos-Tribune. He can be reached at 574-732-5117 or kevin.lilly@pharostribune.com.
