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The county has dug up some major savings on a bridge replacement project.

The county engineering department had been given a cost estimate of over $500,000 to replace an existing structure on B50 Road, explained Bob Basher, county engineering technician.

Rather than replace the existing bridge structure the county went to bid for a box culvert to be built at a different location than the bridge and requiring a shorter span.

On Jan. 9, the county commissioners approved a notice of bid award to a local contractor for $47,113, less than a tenth the cost of the original bridge replacement estimate.

The local contractor, Hinchman Construction, was the bid winner over six proposals submitted. The high bid was twice that of Hinchman's and came in at $99,500.

The county district road supervisor recommended accepting the Hinchman bid.

Basher said the box culvert will be poured in place. When completed, the road will be realigned and the old bridge structure abandoned. The work should not disrupt traffic on the section of B50 where the work will take place, Basher said.

The county agreed to a 50 percent up-front payment to the contractor on the project. Another percent will be paid at completion, with a final 10 percent payment held for another 30 days.

The contractor expects completion in three to five weeks after work begins.

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