Benton County panel OKs War Eagle repairs

Lori Smith (from left), Kariah Brust, both of Tulsa, Okla., and Sandy Brust of Bentonville cross the bridge Thursday during the annual fall War Eagle Craft Fair at the War Eagle Mill.
Lori Smith (from left), Kariah Brust, both of Tulsa, Okla., and Sandy Brust of Bentonville cross the bridge Thursday during the annual fall War Eagle Craft Fair at the War Eagle Mill.

BENTONVILLE -- Benton County's Transportation Committee on Thursday recommended budgeting more than $1 million next year to repair the War Eagle Bridge.

"We moved forward a proposal to set aside $1.2 million for the rehab," Pat Adams, justice of the peace and chairman of the Transportation Committee, said Friday. "That should cover both of the two lowest bidders."

Bridge Work

Benton County spent about $640,000 to repair War Eagle Bridge in 2010. State inspectors identified critical deficiencies in the structure during an annual inspection in 2013. The county reduced the posted weight limit on the bridge to 3 tons and hired Great River Engineering of Springfield, Mo., to inspect the bridge and identify problems, then do design work and develop a scope of work for restoring the bridge.

Source: Staff report

The county opened bids on repair work Thursday. Five companies submitted bids. The low bid came from JL Bry-Son of Huntsville. The next lowest bid was from Crossland Heavy Contractors of Columbia, Mo.

The work was bid with a base bid amount to cover the minimum amount of work recommended by Great River Engineering, the company Benton County hired to assess the bridge and develop recommendations for repairing the 108-year-old bridge. The company also included two alternate packages of additional work to extend the useful life of the bridge and increase the weight-bearing capacity of the structure.

The engineering estimate from Great River for the base bid was $859,550, with the base plus alternate one coming in at $987,550 and the base bid plus alternate one and alternate two at $1,158,550. The base bid amount from JL Bry-Son was $941,500, with the base bid plus alternate one coming in at $1,056,700 and the base bid plus alternate one and alternate two coming in at $1,137,700. The bid from Crossland was $1,040,404 for the base bid amount, $1,148,404 for the base plus alternate one and $1,246,954 for the base plus alternate one and alternate 2two.

Brenda Guenther, county comptroller, said Benton County earmarked $300,000 for work on the War Eagle Bridge in 2016 and spent about $88,000, leaving $212,000. The $1.2 million recommended by the Transportation Committee is in addition to that amount, Guenther said. The county also has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the federal Transportation Alternatives Program to use on the bridge repair project.

County Judge Bob Clinard said the county will study the background and qualification of the bidders before making a selection. He said the county isn't required to accept the low bid.

"We have to go back and study at least the two lowest bidders and compare their experience," Clinard said. "With Crossland, there's no doubt they can do it. With Bry-Son, we just don't know anything about them yet. We'll do our due diligence on move on with the best and lowest bid."

Adams said the full program of work could extend the life of the bridge for vehicles by at least 15 years with a project weight limit of 15 tons. The county has had the bridge posted for a 3-ton weight limit since state inspectors found critical deficiencies in the structure three years ago. Adams said a 15-ton limit would allow the bridge to be used by school buses, ambulances and small fire trucks.

Glenn Jones, chairman of the Benton County Historical Preservation Commission, said he's relieved by the committee's decision and hopes the county will follow through with the full program of repair work. Jones said the county should try to preserve historic bridges, pointing to the Fisher Ford and Colonel Meyers Road bridges as some which were demolished in the past few years.

"Thank God. This has been a battle from the very beginning," Jones said. "I will tell you I was not very optimistic, especially since we lost those other two bridges."

Jones said he understands the War Eagle Bridge won't last another 100 years as a conduit for vehicles. He said the project should give the county time to find an alternative route for a new bridge so War Eagle can be preserved as a pedestrian bridge when the time comes.

"I personally think that's the way to go," Jones said. "The objective is to save the old structure, not have it torn down like those other two and sold for 10 cents a pound on the scrap steel market."

NW News on 10/22/2016

Upcoming Events