Cloud County Commission Approves Engineering Services Agreement for Historic Bridge

Pott's Ford Bridge
Pott's Ford Bridge

The Cloud County Commission voted Monday, November 20th to approve an agreement for engineering services with Kirkham, Michael & Associates, Inc. of Ellsworth, Kansas to evaluate options to rehabilitate the historic Pott's Ford Bridge to determine if the bridge may be reopened to vehicle traffic.

The Pott's Ford Bridge, located on local road 8522 approximately 0.8 miles south and 1.0 mile west of Glasco, was built in 1884 by the Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Wilmington, Ohio.  The bridge spans over the Solomon River and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 4, 1990.

A replacement bridge is proposed to be a multi-span precast prestressed concrete beam bridge with a reinforced concrete deck.

According to the agreement, Kirkham, Michael & Associates, Inc. will determine if repairs may be made that would lead to reopening the bridge.  Kirkham, Michael & Associates, Inc. will provide repair recommendations and details to the Kansas Historical Society to determine if the recommended repairs would be approved for construction, provide opinion of probable costs for the repair alternatives, and present a final report to the Cloud County Commissioners for discussion.

Total cost of the agreement for professional engineering services is $10,000.