Obed Bridge Bids Are Sought To Give Better Idea Of Cost

By Tammy Gray-Searles
   “This is just to test the waters,” said Navajo County Public Works Director Homero Vela about going out to bid for rehabilitation of the Obed Road Bridge just outside Joseph City.
   The Board of Supervisors approved receipt of bids for the project, but Vela noted that it doesn’t necessarily mean the project will begin right away.
   “We want to check the market and find out how much this will cost before we make a decision,” he said. “We want to see if it’s financially feasible.”
   Vela told the board that there is some funding set aside for the project, and the engineer estimates that it will cost approximately $3.2 million to complete the rehabilitation. He noted, however, that engineer estimates on other recent projects were too conservative, and public works staff would like to determine the actual cost of the project.
   “We’re not requesting funding for this today,” he said.
   Vela pointed out that the bridge will remain one lane, but the load limit will be increased from eight tons to 40, and the wood deck will be replaced with concrete. According to Vela, maintenance costs will decrease dramatically following the rehabilitation.
   “The Obed Road Bridge is a historic pre-World War II, six-span, one lane wide pony steel truss bridge with a wooden deck,” Vela noted. “The bridge requires constant maintenance and has a weight limitation because of its inadequate design.”
   He told the board that school busses and other large vehicles cannot use the bridge as it is now, and that the rehabilitation will provide an alternate route in case of a closure at the railroad tracks in Holbrook, or of Interstate 40 near Joseph City.
   Supervisor J.R. DeSpain noted that he has been trying to move the bridge project forward for many years, but it has been delayed due to the need to use the funding for other projects, such as the Lone Pine Dam Bridge in the Show Low area.
   “It’s important because we do not currently have an alternate route to (State Route) 77 if the tracks are blocked,” he said.
   In other action Jan. 26, the board:
   * Approved a mutual aid compact with the Arizona Division of Emergency Management.
   * Approved a resolution allowing compensation for “employees who have worked extraordinarily long hours during a period of declared emergency,” provided that such compensation is “eligible for reimbursement pursuant to federal or state disaster programs.”
   * Approved a contract with the Arizona Department of Health Services for Arizona Nutrition Network funding.
   * Approved a memorandum of understanding with Red Cross, Grand Canyon Chapter, for “health and medical treatment of the Navajo County population in times of public health emergencies.”
   * Approved the submission of an application for a housing rehabilitation Community Development Block Grant.
   * Approved a contract with LeadsOnline for pawn information and investigations for all law enforcement agencies in Navajo County for $10,620.
   * Approved the expenditure of up to $3,731.83 in District II Secure Rural Schools funding for purchase of road materials for maintenance of school bus turnarounds for the Holbrook School District.
   * Approved the expenditure of up to $2,500 in District III Local Transportation Assistance Funds for vehicle operating expenses for Alice’s Place in Winslow.
   The next board meeting is scheduled at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 9, at the Navajo County Complex in Holbrook.