Work to replace the 14th Ave. bridge in Winfield is set to begin Monday, the city announced this week.
Wichita-based Dondlinger and Sons Construction is primary contractor for the project, which should be completed by the fall of this year. The bridge will be closed to through traffic for the entirety of the project.
Drivers will be detoured using Stewart St., W. Ninth and Country Club Rd. Signs will be posted. The project is under the direction of the Kansas Dept. of Transportation.
The iron-truss bridge near the Winfield fairgrounds has crossed the Walnut River for many decades. It will be replaced by a modernized bridge, though there won’t be any trusses.
“It’ll be substantially wider,” city engineer Patrick Steward said recently. “Two full lanes and shoulders, too.”
The bridge is fracture critical, meaning any failure could cause the bridge, or a portion of it, to collapse. City officials said the condition of the bridge has continued to deteriorate over time.
Steel, concrete and rebar from the current bridge will be salvaged.
The state approved a project bid by Dondlinger & Sons for $2.1 million. There was also $318,586 for engineering costs, make the total $2.5 million. The city’s portion of the project is $1.5 million.
KDOT and the City of Winfield urge all motorists to be alert, obey the warning signs, and “Give ‘Em a Brake!” when approaching and driving through a highway work zone. Persons with questions about this road work or other KDOT projects can call South Central Kansas Public Affairs Manager, Deb Gruver, at 620-663-3361 or 1-877-550-5368 (Toll free).
