Submitted by admin on Thu, 05/11/2023 – 4:13pm
The 118-year-old Murray Bridge over the west fork of the Des Moines River will be coming down after the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors approved action Monday to accept $2 million in grant funding to remove the bridge, which is load rated to three tons and is often closed due to flooding. Humboldt Independent file photo.
By APRIL KELLEY
After 15 years of attempts, Humboldt County has finally gotten approval for funding to replace Murray Bridge in Humboldt County.
“We applied for the last 15 years and have fallen just short of the criteria or just short of the top 3 that they use to select.
This particular year they had additional funding. So they are able to award more than just the top three,” Ben Loots, Humboldt County Engineer told the board at Monday’s meeting.
The bridge is located on Florida Avenue west of Rutland in Avery Township. It was constructed by A.H. Austin in 1905.
“Murray Bridge was selected for a county bridge construction fund for fiscal year 2024 for up to $2,000,000 for replacement,” Loots continued.
It is expected that the total project will cost $5 million. Loots said a planned repaving of County Road P-66 from Highway 3 south to the Webster County line would probably be moved back and the Murray Bridge project moved ahead. Read more about the matter in this week’s Humboldt County Supervisors story in the Humboldt Independent. Like the Humboldt Newspapers on Facebook.