The Letcher County Fiscal Court is moving forward with a bridge replacement project.
In a special meeting Tuesday, the county’s magistrates approved hiring Greg Hale Construction to install the new bridge at Perkins Branch in the Jeremiah Community, which collapsed in March following flooding in February. The court accepted Hale’s bid of $131,900 to install the bridge.
All total, the bridge replacement project will eclipse $235,000.
In addition to the cost to install the bridge, the bridge itself — a 100 foot steel span — will cost $102,000, plus $2,500 shipping. The county’s responsibility, however, will likely total only $38,000 thanks to matching emergency funds for the project.
The court voted to extend the bridge it originally intended to purchase from approximately 75 feet to 100 feet. That extension added approximately $25,000 onto the cost of the project. Officials said the additional footage will add more stability to the structure.
A water line will have to be moved before the new bridge can be installed. Once that line is moved, it is expected to take a month to get the new bridge installed.
The court’s votes on the bridge project were unanimous.
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