OSAWATOMIE — Miami County commissioners have decided to replace the Mill Street bridge into Osawatomie. The Osawatomie Graphic reported replacing the bridge is the most expensive of three options. A new bridge would cost about $2.7 million, county road and bridge director, J.R. McMahon said. There’s a good chance of snagging a state or federal grant to pay for much of the cost of replacing the bridge, McMahon said. Engineer Gabe Pfefferkorn said the bridge would be “a carbon copy” of the bridge in Franklin County on Vermont Road north of Rantoul, which also spans the Marais des Cygnes River. The Mill Street bridge was closed last year because rusting problems posed a threat of imminent failure. The other options included leaving the bridge closed, which was rejected by much of the Osawatomie community, or replacing the current deck on the narrow, low-tonnage bridge, which posed liability and funding problems.
Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2 p.m.