Thornton Bridge close to done

Assistant County Engineer Dean Cornelison reported to county commissioners Monday only one guardrail remains to be put in for the new Thornton depot bridge. County workers will install the guardrail this week.

“We're hoping to have the bridge open Thursday,” said Cornelison.

Workers started staging at the site, a wood bridge on Sunset Road in Thornton, June 13, and put a temporary bridge in place, posted signs for road work and a detour, for which they built just off to the side, through private land to the temporary bridge.

The old bridge was then taken out and replaced with a concrete span, gaining a foot in clearance width over Thorn Creek which has become inundated with silt and prone to flooding.

“The farmers are gonna appreciate it, I know that,” said Cornelison.

He gave the current estimate at a total cost at $147,000.

“We won't know until a couple pay periods from now,” Cornelison said, referring to workers' time remaining related to the project.

A Whitman County Public Works crew has done all of the work on the project, along with the rental of a crane and operator.

Wood from the old bridge, depending on its condition, will be kept by the Public Works Department for other projects.

The Thorn Creek bridge was built in 1934 and widened in 1953.

Once the guardrails are set and the new bridge is complete, the county crew will go north to the bridge on Siegel Road north of Pine City. It will be replaced with a culvert.