Boone County is one of many rural Nebraska counties facing the major task of replacing many of its county road bridges in the coming years.
Bridge replacement isn’t a new issue in Nebraska, but it is becoming steadily more costly, and the process can be time-consuming, said Darrel Thorin, county highway superintendent.
Boone County currently has 192 bridges listed in the federal system, with another 40 “local bridges” with smaller spans of under 20 feet.
Many of these are original timber bridges dating back to 1935. Many are no longer wide enough, or sturdy enough, to allow crossing by heavy modern farm equipment. Thorin estimates as many as 50 Boone County bridges are now in need of replacement.
Details in the July 23 Albion News Print and E-Editions.
County faces challenge in bridge replacement
