Owsley bridge design saves $700,000

When Idaho Transportation Department engineers took a second look at plans to replace the 120-foot-long Owsley Canal bridge on Idaho 33, near Mud Lake, they developed a new plan. Instead of replacing the bridge with a similar product, costing about $1.5 million, engineers determined an arch-pipe culvert structure could safely be used instead. The design will save about $700,000. I.T.D. worked closely with the Mud Lake Water and Sewer Company to ensure the eight-inch-diameter pressurized sewer line would continue functioning throughout the project. It is bolted to the side of the old bridge. ITD said grading the roadway, instead of installing guardrail, will enable farmers to move large farm equipment across the new bridge. It will eliminate the sight-distance problems of the old bridge, which was built in 1954. The work will also allow the canal company to install a screen to catch wind-blown tumbleweeds and debris from the water’s surface before they clog or damage intake pumps. The state recently selected the Owsley Bridge project as an “Excellence in Transportation” award-winner for 2016.