Bridge in Adams County receiving repairs

ADAMS COUNTY, Neb. (KSNB) - Starting June 1, a detour will be required to get around the outskirts of Hastings.

South Adams Central Avenue will experience a road closure between West Pony Express Road and West Sundown Road due to ongoing bridge construction on that section of road. The bridge is expected to be under construction for 14 to 16 weeks, and will cost around $1.2 million dollars.

“The bridge is kind of under built initially, so it was low graded at a lower than what we needed for roadless traffic,” Greg Schmidt, Co-Highway Superintendent, said. “The way it has I mean semis can’t go over it if they’re fully loaded.”

Schmidt said the bridge is also near the end of its life span due to salt decay. He is confident the new bridge will hold much better.

“Combination between concrete and steel bridge,” Schmidt said. “The deck will be all concrete, the undercarriage will be steel. Like I say, it’s a single span girder bridge.”

Schmidt said the reconstruction had two specific groups in mind.

“More access in that area for basically farmers and any commerce to take semis across it safely,” said Schmidt.

Schmidt said they are ways around the construction.

“We highly recommend that anybody that typically takes that, bypass is open at 281, highway 281 instead of taking the detour because the detour is on gravel basically,” said Schmidt.

Schmidt said they will be keeping the guard rails, and demolishing the bridge will start next week.

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