Counties receiving bridge funding

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Hitchcock, Hayes and Furnas counties in Southwest Nebraska will receive funding to help replace and/or repair bridges through Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts' 2016 Transportation Innovation Act signed in April 2016.

Monday, the Nebraska Department of Roads announced proposals it selected for the first round of the "County Bridge Match Program" created in Ricketts' transportation act.

NDOR director Kyle Schneweis said the NDOR has worked to implement the program over the past eight months. He said the program will provide assistance to communities and counties by addressing critical needs within Nebraska's transportation system.

The CBMP provides funding to counties for the innovative replacement and repair of deficient county bridges. Eighty "Requests for Proposals" from 61 counties were submitted in October, and included 151 bridges at a total construction cost of over $20 million. Twenty-two proposals from 32 counties for 68 bridges were selected to divvy up the $4 million available in the program's first round.

The CBMP funds 55 percent of eligible bridge construction cost with counties providing a 45 percent match.

Furnas County wants to repair/replace two bridges, and will receive $113,000. Hitchcock County's proposal, which also includes Hayes County, details the repair/replacement of four bridges. Hitchcock County, which is the lead county of the two, will receive $176,000.

Frontier and Red Willow counties submitted requests that were not selected. Frontier County wanted to repair/replace one bridge and requested $58,000; Red Willow wanted to repair/replace one bridge and requested $91,000.