OTTUMWA —
When you live in a river town, bridges are a vital link in your life.
The same applies to people living in the country. They’re also affected by bridges, big and small, and by the rivers and watersheds that sprout creeks and other water features. In Chillicothe, the focus is on two bridges.
Wapello County Engineer Brian Moore said Wednesday that the old, but still used, Chillicothe bridge has been closed and engineers have “identified the fix.”
“It’s in the design work and we’re currently making arrangements to get the rest of the details inspected,” Moore said.
He was concerned and wants to make sure no other problems, such as a broken girder, existed. While Moore wasn’t sure about the time frame, he said the county wants to get the work done as soon as possible.
As for the new Chillicothe bridge, Moore said crews continue to move dirt and build a road.
“The actual bridge contractor is at a stalemate until the river goes down, and he can’t get in the river yet,” he added.
Lake Road is now open. The county closed the road in early June because tons of tree limbs and other debris were jammed against the Village Creek bridge.
Moore hopes the bridge on Little Soap Road will be fixed this summer. The contractor has indicated the work should be done by mid-August.
August is also Moore’s target for starting work on the waffle deck project on Dahlonega Road. It’s a project for a new, innovative bridge, just like the new Mars Hill bridge.
In Ottumwa, work on the Davis Street bridge was under way Wednesday morning. A crew from Jim McCulley Culvert, Inc., of Barnes City, was on the scene to replace the bridge with a box culvert, plus taking a lot of junk out of the deep ditch that cuts off Davis Street and others from access to Mary Street.
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A crew from Jim McCulley Culvert, Inc., of Barnes City, works on removing junk from the Jefferson Park Drainage Ditch that cuts through South Davis Street on the city’s south side. The area south of the ditch is prone to flooding after intense thunderstorms, but a new bridge wasn’t the answer. The street now has a box culvert in place. Cindy Toopes/The Courier
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