City will pay just 15% of cost for new 11th Street bridge

A bridge on South 11th Street reopened late last week, about nine months after it was closed due to dangerous conditions.

The condition of the Pike Creek bridge had deteriorated over several years and the city was unable to afford to replace it until grant money became available, according to city manager Mark Massingham.

“We had been looking at that for at least the last five years, probably longer than that,” he said. “It is a big benefit for the city and I know the residents are happy with it.”

The city will cover just 15% of project costs, or about $66,000, of the removal of the old bridge and construction of a new bridge. This money will come from the 2020 budget.

The total project cost about $440,000. A grant for 85% of the cost was received from a Community Development Block Grant through the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

The same grant funding also paid for more than $500,000 in work to create a new road providing access to Empire Comfort Systems and city-owned property.

The city also paid for 15% of this project, or about $73,000, in the 2019 budget year, Massingham said.

The city was able to secure grant money for both efforts because they were seen as job creation efforts, officials said in 2018, when plans were underway for the new Empire factory.

Work on the bridge was completed by Roberston Contractors.

It was completed within budget, said Massingham, although a change order will be needed to extend the time for completion. Workers experienced delays related to weather and utility issues, he said.