While seven of Ellis County’s more than 200 bridges are in poor condition, they don’t need closed, but new heavy vehicles will force weight limits on more of them in coming years.
“My estimate right now is that 50 to 60 percent of the bridges that we inspect will have to be posted some way or another,” said civil engineer Jordan Dettmer with Penco Engineering, Plainville, who inspected the county’s bridges in November 2018. “You guys are currently at 21.2 percent of your bridges are posted. So that will double; something to be aware.”
Kansas Department of Transportation requires the inspections every two years. In a report Monday evening at the regular meeting of the Ellis County Commission, Penco’s Dettmer referenced a new federal standard that defines a structurally deficient bridge as one having a deck, superstructure, substructure or culvert in poor condition.
(Read more: News – The Hays Daily News)