Winter conditions aren’t stopping overall processes to build a new Rocky Ford Bridge southeast of Emporia.
Lyon County Engineer Wayne Scritchfield, a guest on KVOE’s Morning Show on Wednesday, says the project on Road P is on schedule.
Scritchfield says the concrete is curing quickly, so winter conditions aren’t a concern with that aspect of the project.
Scritchfield came on board last year, and he says plans were already substantially done and contracts were completed at that time. The new bridge is going next to the original bridge as constructed in 1907. The new bridge won’t look the same as the old one.
The road grade and a lot of the existing curves are getting removed, but Scritchfield also says drivers using the new bridge will have to be careful in wintry conditions because of the elevation.
One of the early processes of note was inspecting for different mussels on the old bridge.
Given the historic nature of the old bridge, added to the Kansas Register of Historic Places in 2020 and serving as the site of the infamous murder of Sandra Bird in 1983, Scritchfield says the existing bridge is due for replacement.
Construction should be done by June. Scritchfield has said he expects a 50-year life span or longer with the new bridge.
