Bridge Construction To Exceed $200,000

​The Antelope County Board of Supervisors meeting was a little louder than normal on Tuesday morning.
 
Road Engineer Brian McDonald informed the board that construction on three bridges will be around $64,000 more than first anticipated. The project was first estimated at around $168,000, but now will be $202,410.86.
 
Two of the bridges were damaged and one was destroyed when Invenergy was constructing the wind towers.
 
Dean Smith was concerned as to if Invenergy was going to pay for the extra costs since they damaged the bridges.
 
“Why should they not have to pay the full extent of the damages that they have caused to the county?” Smith said.
 
Road Engineer Brian McDonald then explained that the $64,000 that wasn’t anticipated at first is to upgrade the damaged bridges to brand new bridges.
 
“We requested the insurance money, we requested a repair number for the first bridge, we requested a complete replacement of the second bridge, and the damage that was done to the third bridge.”
 
The board agreed with him in unison when McDonald said that the board decided to upgrade the damaged bridges to new bridges, at their expense.
 
“That is the way that I explained it to the board. They knew when we originally requested that, that it was the money they were going to get for damages. The addition to the improvements beyond what a repair would be, these are all three new constructions now.”
 
Supervisor Greg Koinzen asked the board if there was anyone who didn’t understand the motion that was passed. Again, the board was in unison with understanding their previous decision.