BENTONVILLE — Benton County officials said Tuesday they want a detailed estimate of the cost of replacing a pair of county bridges before spending more money on either bridge.
The Long Range Planning/Real Estate & Buildings Committee of the Benton County Quorum Court voted unanimously to have Ron Petrie of Garver Engineering prepare cost estimates for replacing both Fisher Ford Bridge and Colonel Meyers Bridge.
Fisher Ford Bridge is in the southwestern corner of Benton County, near the Washington County line, according to county administrator Greg Hines. Colonel Meyers Bridge is just west of Cave Springs, Hines said. Both bridges are currently closed.
Petrie told the committee Tuesday a study of the repair needed to open Fisher Ford Bridge put that cost at $415,000. Spending that amount, he said, might not solve all the problems and would leave the county with an old bridge that could need to be closed again if new problems develope.
The county authorized the study of repair work on Fisher Ford Bridge at a cost not to exceed $20,000, Hines said. With the less-than-encouraging results, he said, he could not recommend the county spend a similar amount to study Colonel Meyers Bridge.
Several justices of the peace said they wanted more information before making a decision on the future of the two bridges. Kurt Moore said the Colonel Meyers Bridge should cost less because it would need less work to the approaches to the bridge. He also said the county faced tough decisions on both roads, since rural residents expect the county to maintain roads and bridges.
AT A GLANCE
County Bridges
Benton County officials want to have cost estimates for replacing Fisher Ford Bridge and Colonel Meyers Bridge during the Aug. 10 meeting of the Benton County Quorum Court’s Committee of 13.
Source: Staff Report
“It’s kind of a tough call,” Moore said. “Being fiscally responsible or doing the right thing.”
Justice of the Peace Bobby Hubbard was more direct about his opinion on the bridges, saying the county bore much of the responsibility for failing to do needed maintenance work and keep the bridges in a state of repair.
“I don’t think the county should be closing roads,” Hubbard said. “That can’t be our answer, to go around closing roads because we can’t afford a bridge.”
Justice of the Peace Frank Winscott asked Petrie to prepare a proposal showing the cost of replacing Fisher Ford Bridge. Moore then asked for a similar proposal for Colonel Meyers Bridge. Petrie said he should be able to have the proposals ready for the Quorum Court’s Committee of 13 meeting on Aug. 10.
The committee also heard a report on the Benton County Planning Board’s proposal for a commercial development matrix, meant to simplify the process of getting county approval for smaller commercial projects. The proposal was forwarded to the Committee of 13 for more discussion.
The committee also forwarded an ordinance to remove the requirement that builders post completion bonds on projects to the Committee of 13. Winscott directed county staff to ask county administrator Chris Glass attend the Committee of 13 meeting to explain the ordinance and answer questions.