Gillett City Council OKs bridge study

Study will cost $10,500, one council member questions need
By: 
Luke Reimer
Reporter

The Gillett City Council is moving forward with the process for a new bridge.

The city recently received a grant for $325,000 for replacing the bridge on Washington Street.

“In order to do the right process on it, we have to do a bridge study on it to find out if it is a box culvert or an arched bridge,” said Gillett Public Works and Utility Head Ron Anderson.

Craig Schuh, a manager of engineering services for Ayers Associates, said that there would have to be a hydraulic modeling.

“We have to make sure that upstream of that structure, there is no change in the flood plain or the back water,” said Schuh. “That will depend on the opening requirements for that structure.”

He added that there is a vast change in the scope and fee if Ayers designs a box culvert, a bridge or an aluminum arch structure.

“It did not make a whole lot of sense for us to put together a proposal for the city — saying worst-case scenario is, it is going to cost $50,000 to design it, and we are able to do it for $15,000,” said Schuh. “We are taking a small chunk off right now to do the hydraulic modeling and put the study together so you know, and so we can come back with a realistic engineering fee to do the design for that structure replacement.”

Mayor Josh McCarthy said that the bridge study will be $10,500.

Schuh said that there was a very large drainage basin for several hundred acres north of Highway 32.

“We have to do the hydraulic modeling to verify that the opening is the same or slightly larger, so we do not have any back water,” said Schuh. “It could be drastically oversized right now and we wouldn’t know that.”

Schuh said that Ayers will make sure that upstream and downstream structures are surveyed. They will also survey cross-sections of the stream in several locations.

Anderson said the council should have a plan by this time next year so the grant money doesn’t disappear.

“We need to do a bridge study to make sure that we are putting the right bridge up, because we have a lot of water coming and we have to make sure that everything is right,” said Anderson.

Council member Debbie Rudie said that she was unprepared for a possible vote on the bridge study.

“Why do we need to have that bridge any longer?” asked Rudie. “Why does that road need to be open any longer?”

Anderson said the road used to be the main hub for entry into the city, and there is still traffic there.

Rudie said this is a major project for Gillett.

“If our little city is facing a huge road project in a couple years, and now we have to talk about the TID money in a time frame — do we need that bridge anymore?” asked Rudie. “It might be a convenience, but is it a necessity to spend $500,000 on it when we have other roads that access the same area?”

Anderson said that they don’t know how much it will cost in total.

Rudie said that if the water does not cause structural damage to other buildings, then there is no need for the bridge.

Anderson said that if you take the bridge out, you leave no path for ATV and UTV users. He added that he does not want to miss out on the grant money.

“You can leave the bridge the way that it is. But my thing is, you are getting $325,000 to fix that structure. Do you want to throw it away, or five years from now, you have to fix it?” said Anderson.

Rudie responded saying it doesn’t need to be fixed if it isn’t used.

McCarthy said emergency response time for the police department and fire department is something that needs to be looked into as well.

Gillett Fire Chief Kurt Hicks said that the fire department does not use the bridge due to the trucks being too heavy.

“For the last couple years we have not gone that way, because we can’t,” said Hicks. “I keep telling my guys to try to not drive across the bridge.”

McCarthy added that in order to sign an agreement with Ayers, there are some factors that have to be considered.

“Before you sign an agreement with Ayers as a consultant to design a structure, we want to give you the options and the potential cost,” said McCarthy. “The only way we can do that is if we do the survey and the hydraulic modeling and put the memo together.”

The motion to move forward with the bridge study was passed with four council members voting yes and one no from Rudie. Council member Matthew Stroik was absent from the meeting.