The Kansas Department of Transportation has awarded Douglas County $1.4 million in funding through the Kansas Local Bridge Improvement Program. Douglas County Public Works applied for the funds to replace Bridge 1800-1124, which is on North 1800 Road, commonly called the Farmer’s Turnpike, and located 0.76 miles west of East 1200 Road. The bridge carries the road over Baldwin Creek northwest of Lawrence.

The bridge was built in 1970 and has been listed in the county’s ongoing bridge replacement program due to aging concrete and limited load capacity. A truck accident in March 2024 damaged the southwest guardrail and bridge rail. The estimated total cost of the bridge replacement project is $1.7 million.

Public Works Director Chad Voigt said construction would occur in 2025 and require about 5 to 6 months to complete, weather permitting.

KDOT announced in August that it received 92 applications requesting assistance for projects totaling $108 million in construction costs. Douglas County was one of the 19 award recipients that received a total of $19.8 million. The last time Douglas County was selected for this state program was in 2014 when it received $120,000.

Douglas County Public Works maintains 161 bridges located on county and township roads. The county obtains an inspection report for each bridge every two years, as required by federal law. Public Works relies on these biennial inspection reports to prioritize bridge replacement, repair and maintenance projects. 

Douglas County bridges have an average service life of 70 to 80 years. The County's oldest bridge has been in service for 103 years. Public Works has a goal of replacing two bridges per year to maintain safe and reliable roads into the future. Public Works also completes repair projects to extend the service life of existing bridges.