Veterans Bridge project winding down

Busy span may reopen at end of October

After being closed for most of this year, the busy Veterans Bridge on First Avenue South may be open to traffic again soon.

The bridge is "on track to open at the end of the month," Fort Dodge City Engineer Austin Morrow said Thursday.

The bridge closed on March 13 for a major overhaul.

The work included concrete patching on the bridge's deck, which is what the vehicles drive on.

Also, the beams under the deck were repaired, and in some cases, replaced. Concrete patching was performed on the piers, which are the big vertical columns which hold the bridge up.

Other elements of the upgrade included new curbs, street lights and sidewalks along with improved drainage.

Morrow said the work took a little bit longer than expected because of some additional concrete patching that had to be done.

Crews also had to spend extra time repairing an abutment wall on the west end that was found to be leaning toward the center of the bridge, he said.

Minturn Inc., of Brooklyn, has a $3,590,046.45 contract for the job.

Veterans Bridge carries First Avenue South over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks and is a key link between downtown and the retail area on the city's east side. An estimated 10,300 vehicles a day cross it.

It will be reopening at about the same time the westbound lanes of the Kenyon Road Bridge will be closing. That side of the Kenyon Road Bridge will be dismantled and replaced in a project expected to be completed in September 2024.