Council OKs borrowing for bridge design work
The city will borrow $75,000 to fund the design for the repair or replacement of the Elmendorf Street bridge in Midtown, with the understanding that additional money will be needed to pay for any construction.
The bonding was approved 8-0 during an online meeting of the Common Council on Tuesday. Alderman Patrick O’Reilly, a nonenrolled voter who represents Ward 7, was absent.
Alderman Douglas Koop said during an online caucus Monday that a consultant will be hired to provide the city with options to either repair or replace the bridge, which has been closed since July 20 due to deteriorating timber supports.
Koop, D-Ward 2, said the city is not predisposed to replacing the bridge, which crosses an old rail bed, and that a consultant could end up recommending renovation instead.
Either way, “there will be a bigger shoe to fall on this later,” with the repair or replacement expected to cost $700,000, Koop said.
City Engineer John Schultheis told city lawmakers previously that the deterioration of the bridge was discovered as a result of construction related to the resurfacing of Elmendorf Street. He said part of the bridge’s deck was removed during that work, allowing the rot in the timbers that support the span to become visible.
The bridge is estimated to be more than 100 years old, Schultheis said.
Schultheis said it could take a month or two to design the project, after which the city will put the replacement or repair work out to bid.