Staff writer
Marion County has been notified it’s eligible for a federal grant to pay 80 percent of the cost of replacing a steel truss bridge at 370th and Sunflower Rd.
After county commissioners found out last week the grant is available, commissioner Dan Holub spoke to Dickenson County authorities, who agreed to pay 60 percent of the remaining balance, leaving Marion County to pay 40 percent.
The total cost of the project is not yet known because the project has not been assigned to engineers, commissioner Randy Dallke said.
Road and bridge supervisor Jesse Hamm estimated last week that the portion of the cost not covered by the grant might be as much as $150,000. That is a best-guess estimate without putting it out to bid or having it seen by an engineer, Hamm said.
Using that estimate and Dickinson County’s agreement to pay 60 percent, Marion County could end up paying about $60,000 to replace the bridge.
Dallke said the bridge replacement could happen as late as 2018, “depending on when we put the project together.”