East 1400 Road bridge over Wakarusa River to be closed March 30 for rehabilitation project

The bridge carrying East 1400 Road (old Louisiana Street alignment) over the Wakarusa River will be closed beginning Monday, March 30, 2020, for a rehabilitation project.  The bridge is located on East 1400 Road approximately ¾-mile north of North 1100 Road. Douglas County Public Works anticipates the project will be completed and the bridge reopened to traffic by June 13, 2020.

The bridge will be closed to all traffic during the project.  No signed detour will be provided.  Alternate routes include U.S. Highway 59, one mile west of the project, and Route 1055 (East 1500 Road), one mile east of the project.

The project will rehabilitate the abutments, repair areas of deteriorated concrete and provide an epoxy overlay on the deck, add concrete approach slabs, and replace substandard guardrails on the south approach roadway.  Abutment rehabilitation includes removing deteriorated bearings at the north abutment and casting the steel girders into the abutment.

The Board of County Commissioners awarded a construction contract in the amount of $306,350 to the low bidder, Wildcat Construction, for the project.  Funding for the project comes from Douglas County’s Capital Improvement Program.