Lake County receives grant for bridge replacement

Lake County Commissioners received good news during their meeting Tuesday.  Highway Superintendent Nels Nelson told them that the county had been awarded a 2022 replacement Bridge Improvement Grant from the state Department of Transportation for a bridge on 456th Avenue.  The bridge is referred to as the “Stemper” bridge by commissioners because of its proximity to the Stemper Auto Body business. The grant is a 70-30 matching grant, with the state’s portion totaling 567-thousand dollars.  

Commission Administrative Officer Shelli Gust said that the county didn’t have a bridge project scheduled for this year, but that now this one could be an option.

Commissioners discussed options of when to bid the bridge project and when it could be completed.  Nelson encouraged them to act sooner rather than later.

Commissioners agreed to start advertising for bids for the bridge project this spring, with it to be completed by the end of this year.