Photo courtesy of County Highway Department The decking on the Pine River bridge will be replaced on January 13, weather permitting.
Work is scheduled to begin on the Pine River bridge on the Arrowhead Trail (County Road 74) on Wednesday, January 13. The bridge over the Pine River, which flows between McFarland and Little John lakes, was restricted to vehicle weights of five tons in September 2009 due to concerns about the aging bridge.
In October 2009, an inspection report from Erickson Engineering of Bloomington, MN, stated that the bridge had three to four more years of life—if new decking were applied.
After the inspection, County Engineer Shae Kosmalski presented the county board with two options. One: to replace deck planks at a cost of $8,000. Fully loaded dump trucks or fuel oil trucks would not be able to cross the bridge, however. The second option would be “glulaminated” deck panels at a cost of $14,700, which would not require any weight restrictions. The glulaminated panels could be reused after the bridge is replaced.
The county board unanimously supported the second option.
The bridge deck replacement should begin on January 13. Kosmalski said work will be weather-dependent and will take place between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Motorists can expect delays of up to two hours during those times.
Questions about the bridge replacement may be directed to the Cook County Highway Department at (218) 387-3014.
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