Brown County commissioners have been asked to decide whether to rehabilitate or replace the century-old Bridge 2110 on County Highway 8 over the Minnesota River. Brown County could accept federal funds that would pay up to 80 percent of eligible items of either a replacement or rehabilitation project. The single-lane bridge is located several miles northwest of Fort Ridgely State Park.

NEW ULM — Brown County commissioners have been asked whether to replace or rehabilitate bridge 2110 on County State Aid Highway 8 over the Minnesota River Jan. 6.

The century old, historic bridge, sometimes referred to as the Franklin, Petersen or Hale bridge, is the last truss bridge in Brown County. It is structurally deficient with a low sufficiency rating and a number of serious structural issues.

The bridge’s traffic count was 80 vehicles a day in 2005. It was closed Aug. 1, 2017, after the discovery of a critical deficiency. The 250-foot-long, 17-foot-wide bridge has been load posted at five tons for several years due to other structural problems.

Before the bridge was closed, Renville County expressed an interest in replacing the bridge and helping pay for it. Past discussions included not replacing the low-traffic bridge due to costs of $1,200,000 to nearly $2,000,000 to replace it.

Last year, commissioners approved hiring Erickson Engineering to do a hydraulic analysis and prepare a preliminary bridge design. Both options provide a 28-foot-wide bridge.

Option 1 uses a five-year roadway overtopping design that requires a 262-foot bridge that raises the deck 4 feet above the current deck and needs 940 feet of approach work. Cost is estimated at $1,196,000.

Option 2 uses a 10-year roadway overtopping design and requires a 402-foot bridge that raises the deck 6 feet above the current deck and needs 1,900 feet of approach work. Cost estimate is $1,831,000. The costs don’t include approach work.

Bridge repair costs are not complete.

Federal off-system bridge funds pay up to 80 percent of eligible items and are available for the bridge for the year 2022.

Historic bridge options include:

• Building a new bridge on a new alignment and leaving the old bridge in place.

• Build a new bridge that looks like the old bridge.

• Selling the old bridge to be used elsewhere.

• Moving the old bridge to a park or elsewhere to be used as a bridge.

• Rehabilitating the bridge using the original construction design.

A Brown County highway engineer said the State of Minnesota needs to know if Brown County plans to replace or rehabilitate the bridge. In addition, the county needs to decide if they will accept federal off-system funds in 2011.

The county can decide to drop the project in the future if something comes up that would make it impractical.

Commissioners will also consider:

• A resolution supporting a Highway 4 detour agreement for Highway 30. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) plans to build a roundabout on Highway 4 at the intersection of Highway 29. It requested the use of 6.7 miles of Brown County Highway 30 as part of a Highway 4 detour, from Highway 4 to the west county line.

The detour is estimated to last 90 days. The calculated agreement compensation is $4,485.42, based on the gas tax method.

• A report that Brown County Public Health administered 271 influenza vaccinations this season. As of Jan.1, about 35 percent of the Brown County population was vaccinated. Public Health Director Karen Moritz said influenza is widespread in Minnesota and that everyone 6 months old and older should get the flu vaccine.

Moritz said short-term radon test kits are available for $10, and long term kits are available for $13 at the Brown County Public Health Office. For more information, visit www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/indoorair/radon/index.html.

• An $11,178.08 state bid including delivery and setup for Probation Department support staff work area furniture replacement. Part of the current clerical furniture will be remixed and used downstairs in an agent office, and some will be used in the hallway for a needed mini workstation.

• Reviewing quotes and selecting a quote for haying 27 acres on the spillway and adjacent parts of Mound Creek County Park. Cutting wild hay in late summer is an accepted weed control method chosen by the Park Commission. Quotes are $36.23 an acre, or a total of $978.23 by Mark Wellner; $40.01, $1,080.27 by Steve Gode; and $44.60, $1,204.20 by Greg Sondag. Contracts last five years.

• A petition by several Leavenworth Township landowners to outlet into County Ditch (CD) 48.

• A petition by landowners David Englin and Cecelia Zwaschka to outlet into CD 28.

• A $10,356 quote by Heymann Construction Company to build two wall openings in the third-floor Court Administration Office and vault as part of the Safe and Secure Courthouse Initiative Grant. State grants fund $4,800 of the cost. The balance will be funded from Revenue Fund 01 reserves (a contingency line item). A $12,100 quote was received from Farasyn Construction.

• Accepting a $23,368 quote from Nosbush Glass Company related to the Safe and Secure Courthouse Initiative Grant. The quote includes $4,582 for door installation, $10,679 plus freight for security window installation and $8,107 for fire shutter installation.

The meeting starts at 9 a.m. in the courthouse commissioners’ room.

Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.