County will fund bridge replacement
By BARRY HALVORSON bhalvorson@journal-spectator.com

Taking advantage of a matching grant program, the Wharton County Commissioners Court approved fully funding the replacement of a bridge on CR 424 and using it as its match for three future projects that will be paid for by state and federal funds.

The estimated cost for the CR 424 bridge replacement over Juanita Creek, about 0.9 miles west of Hwy. 71, is $146,000. The contract was awarded to Wakefield Bridge of Wharton on an emergency basis so the county did not have to go through its regular bid process.

During last year's budget process, ommissioners approved an extra $50,000 in the Precinct 4 budget for bridge replacement, Precinct 4 Commissioner Jimmy Kainer reminded the group. The remaining money will come out of the county's contingency fund.

While supported by Precinct 3 Commissioner Philip Miller, who said the major roadway to the Danevang Co-op should be reopened quickly, Precinct 2 Commissioner Chris King initially argued against doing the work immediately but eventually voted for the project.

"It's not the same thing as if a bridge had collapsed or burned," he said. King said he was forced to close a CR 254 bridge for about a year before it was replaced by an oil field company, and that it wasn't declared an emergency. He argued Kainer could fund the first part of the project out of this year's budget and then the remainder could be placed in next year's expenditures.

In designating the projects for the matching grant program, the commissioners approved three structures, Blue Creek No. 1 on CR 421 and bridges over draws on CR 456 and CR 461. The matching grant for the bridge replacement will come through the Participation- Waived Project/Equivalent- Match Project (PWP/EMP) Program. Under the terms of the employment, the Federal Highway Administration provides 80 percent of the funding with the state picking up 10 percent and the county 10 percent. The county match can be in-kind matches such as, in this case, bridge replacements or through drainage and other approved projects.

Kainer said the work on the other three bridges is scheduled to be done sometime in the next five years.

In other actions, the commissioners approved accepting a grant of $2,975 from the Gulf Coast Medical Foundation.