Approximately 50 citizens attend a joint meeting of Ark City and Cowley County commissioners Tuesday night to discuss options concerning the East Chestnut Bridge. (Photo by Brady Bauman)
Ark City commissioners and Cowley County commissioners met for a joint work session Tuesday night at Cowley County Community College in Ark City to discuss options for the East Chestnut Bridge east of Ark City.
No actions were officially made, but upwards of 50 citizens were in attendance.
On Aug. 12, Cowley County Commissioners tabled a decision regarding the fate of the bridge, which has been closed since floods in May.
The bridge, built in 1925, suffered damage from those floods, according to the county. The river bank at the bridge and road leading up to it also suffered from erosion.
Both entities agreed to partner in a solution for both the short and long-term to open the roadway and explore potential options of fixing or replacing the bridge.
The consensus among citizens in the audience was to think about a long-term fix.
Cowley County Administrator Lucas Goff said essential guidance will come in October, when the Kansas Department of Transportation weighs in with its report on the integrity of the bridge.
In the meantime, both boards said they’d work together to possibly approve minor road repair to temporarily open the bridge for traffic, however no actions were made by either entity to do so.
“It is utilized a lot for emergency vehicles,” City Manager Nick Hernandez said. “So I’m glad to see a solution, potentially, to get it back open, and hopefully we can come up with some long-term solution that is pretty equitable to all the parties involved.”
