Two Cole County bridges are one step closer to replacement.
The Cole County Commission on Thursday approved contracts for engineering companies to replace Old Forge Road Bridge off Old Bass Road, south of Brazito, and the High Point Bridge over Gibler Creek.
The Old Forge agreement is with MECO Engineering for $100,000, and the High Point agreement is with Bartlett & West for $68,521.
In February, the commission approved replacing Old Forge, a one-lane bridge over Clark Fork that was built in 1930 and has a posted 18-ton load limit.
The bridge will be replaced using federal funds from the Off System Bridge Program for county bridges administered by the Missouri Department of Transportation.
"Our county receives about $104,000 each year from this program, and we currently have a $618,000 balance," Cole County Engineer Eric Landwehr said. "There are restrictions on the use of these funds, with the primary use being replacement of deficient bridges."
Landwehr estimated the construction costs for Old Forge to be around $400,000. He said plans are for the work to be bid by the end of this year or early next year.
The High Point Road bridge is scheduled for rehabilitation or replacement through the same MoDOT process. Early estimates show High Point would cost the same as Old Forge, Landwehr said. Construction would not take place until some time next year.
Old Forge and High Point are two of six Cole County bridges on MoDOT's deficient bridge list. The other four are:
Moniteau Creek Road over Moniteau Creek - The commission approved removing the bridge in March, and they will not replace the structure.
Waterford Road over North Moreau Creek - Landwehr said the bridge is functionally obsolete due to the width of the deck, but overall, it is in decent condition and will not be scheduled for rehab or replacement.
Tanner Bridge Road over the Moreau River - This is a large bridge built in 1962. "It is in fair condition, and we do routine maintenance work on it," Landwehr said. "It is not load posted, and we plan to maintain it in a fair condition as long as feasible. Replacement costs would be in the $2 million range."
Hemstreet Road over North Moreau Creek - Landwehr said this bridge is in poor condition and load posted at 12 tons. He said it likely will be removed and not replaced due to reasonable access on both sides from Route C.
MoDOT determines whether a bridge is deficient based on biannual bridge inspections, he said. MoDOT inspects bridges more than 20 feet in length in counties and cities.