News

Dec 08, 2023

School Road bridge project on track for Aug. 17 completion

Work on School Road bridge in Hutchinson, which began July 17, is on schedule for completion on Aug 17. However, residents might notice a lull in activity during the next two weeks due to concrete

Work on School Road bridge in Hutchinson, which began July 17, is on schedule for completion on Aug 17.

However, residents might notice a lull in activity during the next two weeks due to concrete curing time required to ensure the repairs are effective and durable, Mike Stifter, Hutchinson Public Works director, said during the July 25 City Council meeting.

School Road bridge repairs differ from other recent projects, mainly due to the structure’s age, Stifter said. At 45-years-old, it needed more extensive repairs.

The project is currently focused on grinding out cracks and carrying out extensive rebar work, as well as addressing deeper concrete issues, according to Stifter.

“10,000 vehicles drive on School Road bridge daily,” Chad Muchow, Hutchinson senior engineer specialist, said. “A lot of it is school traffic but this bridge sees higher traffic compared to others in the city.”

As the city’s bridge inspector, Muchow noted that there’s never a good time to do bridge work.

“Between Water Carnival and RiverSong, that doesn’t give us much time to work,” he said.

The city has also installed new LED street lights along the bridge in an effort to cut costs and conserve energy, Muchow said.

School Road bridge, which opened in 1978, is the final bridge to be rehabilitated in Hutchinson. The city completed work on Second Avenue, Fifth Avenue South Grade Road and Adams Street bridges earlier this summer. Deck rehabilitation for all five bridges cost $383,585 and is being completed by Paragon Restoration II.

The city’s bridges needed deck rehabilitation due to snow and rain penetrating existing cracks in the concrete, which wears on the surface. Freezing causes issues inside the concrete and the underlying concrete deck. This makes little cracks into bigger cracks, according to Muchow.

“The sooner we take care of it, the cheaper it will be,” Muchow said. “This repair work should last at least 10 years.”

Despite the temporary inconvenience for residents, Stifter assured the public that progress is promising.

“The infrastructure itself looks great,” he said. “We expect it to be open just in time for the fair and the start of school.”