By Pat Hammert/Staff Writer

The city wants to enter an agreement with Canadian County to help rebuild a rural two-lane bridge on East Elm Street that carries school buses and oil field service trucks to and from town.

Canadian County Commissioner Phil Carson closed the bridge recently because of safety concerns even though it is inside the El Reno city limits. Both county and city officials say there has been deterioration on the center beam.

Spanning a small creek, the bridge is located a mile north of the Canadian Valley Technology Center. Public Works Director Jim Luckett Jr. said “major structural problems” were encountered late last summer when county workers removed creek debris accumulated on the center beam.

“The center beam constantly accepted debris. If you’ve seen it, a picture is worth a thousand words,” he said.

The city proposes a 30-foot- wide steel bridge spanning 50 feet with a concrete deck. The county has agreed to assume half the cost of the project, said Luckett The city’s share will be $44,802.

Although Councilman Tony Maldonado seconded the motion to rebuild the bridge, he objected to spending funds on projects outside the outer core of the city.
“If we do this, this will be three bridges in one year … and we’ll be spending $190,000. We have issues and needs in town. I’m not knocking the need for it but how are we to plan for the future?” he said.
Only $45,000 annually has been budgeted in recent years to repair bridges and fill potholes in roads and streets inside the city limits, meager funds for the city’s needs, said Luckett.
“Basically, you have a city bridge that the cost of replacing it has been cut in half,” Luckett said.
County District 1 road foreman Mike Bailey told the Council the 5-ton bridge probably shouldn’t have been carrying buses or heavy trucks.

Bailey said another bridge on Alfadale Road between the interstate and state Highway 66 also needs repairs. A short distance further on Elm Street, another bridge, circa 1910, needs attention, Luckett said.

But Maldonado said, “We need to pace ourselves and address them appropriately.”
City Manager Doug Henley said the Council will be going through a strategic planning session in the near future and bridge repair will be a part of it.

Councilman Paul Atkins commended the city staff on “developing a rapport” with the county.
“From what I’ve been reading, it hadn’t happened in the past,” he said. He said he does not believe there is “any inner-city project that has fallen by the wayside for lack of attention.”

In other business, Henley said preliminary design plans have been completed to rebuild the Reno Avenue-London Street bridge and replace a waterline under it. The bridge has been closed since spring rains washed it out. Estimated costs are just under $100,000.

A controversial move to use disaster set-aside funds divided the Council.