County approves Squirrel Ave. bridge bid

Union County Board of Supervisors approved a bid Monday from Oden Enterprises of Wahoo, Nebraska, for the planned bridge work on Squirrel Avenue.

The bid is for $132,173 which county engineer Christian Boehmer said was about $30,000 less than the estimate. The bridge is on Squirrel Avenue, north of the intersection of Sand Creek Drive and 255th Street, east of Arispe. Boehmer said a construction schedule has not yet been determined.

Construction-related items were the theme of the meeting.

Boehmer said a landowner along Ivy has requested remodeling his farm entrance to make it wider. Boehmer said the landowner had farm property damaged in the April 26 storm. His interest in rebuilding is to expand the driveway greater than the 50 feet allowed by the county.

Boehmer said he has no concerns with the proposal, based on the conditions. He said he does not see an potential for obstructed view for traffic and the nearest road intersection is about one-quarter mile away.

“It’s not uncommon,” Boehmer said as there are a few other property entrances wider than 50 feet in the county. Supervisors supported Boehmer to further pursue the proposal.

Supervisor Rick Friday said he favored the idea knowing how some roads and properties may have a difficult entrance for trucks because of width.

Boehmer said he is interested in purchasing a mobile traffic light for construction areas, like what is being used for the bridge work on U.S. Highway 34 near Thayer. Normally, a shift of workers are used to control traffic when it is one lane for construction projects. He said the light would be ideal for the overnight hours when traffic is still one lane.

Boehmer said if purchased the light could be rented to neighboring counties when not in use in Union County. Cost estimates are $70,000, depending upon make and model. Boehmer said he is confident he has room in his budget for a purchase. No decision was made.