Three aging, damaged bridges in the western portion of Jefferson County will be restored in the coming years to maintain safety standards.
The Jefferson County Council voted 6-0 May 27 to approve three engineering contracts for projects to preserve bridges on Twin River Road in the Eureka portion of Jefferson County, on Cedar Hill Road in Cedar Hill and Browns Ford Road in Dittmer. Councilman Scott Seek (District 5, Festus) was absent from the meeting.
The major bridge repair projects are made possible through the Federal Highway Administration’s Surface Transportation Block Grant Program, facilitated through the regional East-West Gateway Council of Governments, according to Jefferson County Public Works Director Jason Jonas.
Through the grant, 80 percent of the costs of repairing the bridges will be covered with federal funding, and the county will cover the remaining 20 percent of the costs with part of its share of revenue from a 1/2-cent sales tax for roads and bridges.
Construction for each of the bridge projects is slated to begin in January 2029 and be completed in May of that year, according to Public Works documents.
Twin River Road bridge
ABNA Engineering Inc. of St. Louis will be paid $245,112.22 to provide engineering services, including planning, surveying and construction design for the Twin River Road bridge. Eighty percent, or $196,089.78, will be covered by the federal grant, and 20 percent, or $49,022.44, will be paid through the county’s 1/2-cent road and bridge sales tax.
According to council documents, ABNA was the best qualified of seven engineering firms that submitted bids for the contract.
The Twin River Road bridge is located near the road’s intersection with Hwy. W.
According to Public Works documents, the scope of the project includes removing and replacing the bridge’s concrete deck, which is “saturated through with surface spalls,” meaning the existing concrete deck is crumbling. The bridge’s box girders are also in poor condition and will be replaced, according to documents.
The bridge rail doesn’t meet current safety standards and will be replaced with a rail barrier that better protects pedestrians from falling off the bridge and better withstands motor vehicle accidents.
According to Public Works documents, the total estimated cost to repair the bridge, including construction costs, is $1,591,172, with the federal grant covering $1,272,937.60 and the county covering $318,234.40.
The bridge is located near Cedar Hill Park and the Cedar Hill Fire Protection District Station 1.
Cedar Hill Road bridge
Structures Inc. in Sappington will be paid $207,441 to provide engineering services for the Cedar Hill Road bridge. The county’s federal grant will pay $165,952.80 of the contract, with the county covering $41,488.20.
According to council documents, Structures was the best qualified of seven firms that submitted bids for the contract.
The bridge is located near Cedar Hill Park and the Cedar Hill Fire Protection District Station 1.
Similar to the Twin River Road bridge project, the concrete deck and the bridge rail on the Cedar Hill Road bridge will be replaced.
According to Public Works documents, the total estimated cost to repair the bridge is $1,380,772. Federal funding will cover $1,104,617.60 of the costs, with the county paying $276,154.40.
The Browns Ford Road bridge is near Brown’s Ford Park.
Browns Ford Road bridge
The Browns Ford Road bridge is near Brown’s Ford Park. Structures Inc. was also chosen to provide engineering services for the project for $206,953. The federal grant will cover $165,562.40, while the county will pay $41,390.60.
Structures Inc. was found to be the most qualified of eight submitted bids for the project, according to council documents.
“The purpose of this project is to rehabilitate the bridge and increase public safety,” according to a Public Works document. “The structure was built in 1984 and now requires work to maintain its structural integrity and update safety features. The bridge is currently not load posted (meaning it has no weight restrictions beyond what the road can handle), and the rehabilitation will ensure that it stays that way for decades.”
The bridge’s concrete deck will be replaced, along with its expansion joint bearings and bridge rail. New slab drains will be installed “to collect and discharge water below the girders,” according to Public Works documents.
The project will cost a total of about $1,345,464, with federal funds paying for $1,076,371 of the cost of the project, and the county paying $269,092.80.