The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1920-07-16
BRIDGE LOSSES
HEAVY IN STATE
ESTIMATED $4,000, 900 EXPENDI.
TURE Is NECESSARY TO RE
PLACE STRUCTURES.

Pierre, July 16,-The state bridge
engineer of the state highway de-
partment is about the busiest man in
Pierre. He is the engineer of the
highway commission on state high
way bridges and must also inspect
and approve contracts for county
bridge building.
One of the features of the present
bridge situation in the state which
is causing possibly more trouble than
any other feature is the flood condi-
tiOns which prevailed over the state
the past spring. The loss from this
cause ran into millions, and all of
! the communities affected want action
as soon as possible, which condition,
when extended over the whole state,
means that the work is beyond i'm
mediate attention at all points.
This condition is being remedied
as fast as the engineering forces can
/ get to the particular problems, and
| one feature of the new work is to
provide plans which will avoid fur
! ther los when the floods reach the
same levels as those of the past
spring.
Under the circumstances it is esti-
mated by Bridge Engineer Kirkham
| that it will take an expenditure Of
| $5.0O0,000 to replace bridges de-
| stroyed this spring and new work
| demanded
| Mr. Kirkham is of the opinion that
| the bids for bridges received the last
| year are in most cases excessive. As
proof of this he shows that the low
! est bid received on the county bridge
| at Belle FOurche was 81 600, and
this bridge is now being constructed
by the county under state 81 pervi-
| sion at a cost of $4,000.
A bridge is practically completed
by the state bridge department on
the state highway south of Kadoka,
on White river. The estimates on
| this by bridge companies ran from
| $4,000 to $4,000, but it was built
at a cost of $2S,00O and in about half
the time asked by the bridge com
panies for the work.
Engineer Kirkham regrets the i'm
possibility of undertaking construc-
ton work on a LARGER scale, there
| being much need of it in different
| sections of the state, but the work
can only be carried on 10 meet eX-
isting conditions.
The bridge department, however
passes on the question of plans and
contracts for county bridges.
The following incident reveals the
situation in some places. The diff
ferent counties sent in their bridge
contracts for approval of the bridge
department. In one county certain
sized bridge would cost $1,000 anc
in another county the same sizeC
bridge, $4,000. OF course it wa
necessary to disapprove the highel
contracts. The contractors have since
made reductions for the greater
amount of the difference.
Many communities are impatien
over the delay but the bridge depart
; ment feels that in many cases it cal
do nothing less than disapproVe Ger
tain contracts which are submitte'
by county boards.
The bridge companies have takel
advantage of the situation eXistin
7 and the boards in many cases, no
i getting actual competitive bids, ar
being compelled to accept the loves
= offer TO get the work done.
The old law provided that zridg
bids could only be opened on Gel
tain Tuesday of each month. Thi
uniform date permitted the larg
bridge companies to have representa-
Y tives at every county seat, while tn
small companies could only be repre-
sented at a small number of places
and this tended to reduce compel
, ton.
The last session of the Legislature
upon the recommendation of th
: highway department, changed I'll
. law so that bids for bridges can
. opened at any date fixed by ii
board.