Mar 03, 2021

Ellis County bridge on 140th Road to close permanently

Posted Mar 03, 2021 5:15 PM
The Ellis County Commission voted Monday to close this bridge 1/4 mile north of Old Highway 40 on 140th Road.
The Ellis County Commission voted Monday to close this bridge 1/4 mile north of Old Highway 40 on 140th Road.

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

The Ellis County Commission voted Monday to close a bridge 1/4 mile north of Old Highway 40 on 140th Road.

The steel low truss bridge was built in 1920 and traverses Big Creek.

The bridge was due for its fracture critical inspection, which would have cost the county about $1,900. The bridge requires inspections every year.

The county will receive $50,000 from the Kansas Local Bridge Improvement Program to permanently remove the bridge from service.

The county will install permanent barriers at the bridge, as well as signage and reflectors, said Brendan Mackay, pubic works director.

Bridge report

The commission also voted to accept the annual bridge report at its meeting Monday.

KDOT grant

The commission also accepted $168,657 from the High Risk Rural Roads Grant program. 

Ellis County was awarded the grant as part of a 2019 submission. These projects have allowed the county to update road signage and pavement marking at no cost to the county.

Road improvement request

Gene Chrisler requested four miles of 400th Avenue in the northeast Ellis County be rocked.

Mackay recommended the road remain sand and gravel. This is consistent with the portion of the road in Russell County.

Mackay further recommended the road shoulders be clipped and the road surface be rounded to eliminate flat spots. 

The commission approved Mackay's recommendation for repairs.

Northwest Business Corridor

The commission approved Driggs Design Group to move forward with the condemnation process on any remaining tracts of land for the Northwest Business Corridor Project.

 A majority of the tracts of land needed have been negotiated and settled. However, there are still a few remaining tracts that have not been settled.

The motion started the process to file the appropriate paperwork with legal counsel, allowing the project to proceed until agreements are settled with those remaining tracts.   

Driggs Design group has hired an outside firm to handle these negotiations. To staff's understanding, those impacted property owners have been working in good faith to come to final agreements, according to the commission board packet.