Work begins on Sumner Avenue Bridge

The Sumner Avenue Bridge was closed to traffic last Wednesday, April 23, and work got underway to dismantle the 1919 structure. Construction is expected to take six months, but could be delayed because of federal requirements about the Topeka Shiner minnow. Federal regulations mean the contractor cannot disturb the streambed from May 15 until July 31. The start of the bridge demolition was delayed until phone lines could be moved off of the bridge. Godberson-Smith Construction of Ida Grove is the general contractor on the bridge project after submitting the low bid of $2,064,472.71. The city of Humboldt plans to use $1 million in federal and state city bridge program funds for the replacement, along with local option sales tax dollars the city has collected. For more news on the bridge demolition and construction and more photos of the progress, read The Humboldt Independent. Subscribe by clicking on the link above.