Village to Seek Funding for Hoods Creek Bridge

The Hoods Creek Bridge on Hoods Creek Road needs repaired, but the Village doesn’t qualify for state funding.

Mike Hayek, the village engineer, told Board members last week that the state received 270 applications for projects, which were prioritized.

“I rated 235 and they only had funding for 191,” Hayek said.

The structure of the bridge is rated at 49 out of a possible 100, which means the bridge needs work. But it doesn’t mean it’s unsafe, Hayek explained.

Four of the outside girders are in bad shape, but the three inside girders are intact and structurally sound, Hayek said.

In 2009, village workers placed barrels along the edges of the bridge to keep traffic away from the edges of the bridge.

The cost of rehabilitating the bridge would be $200,000, but the village would have to foot the bill entirely. To reconstruct the bridge would cost $940,000, but the village could qualify for federal funding and the village’s portion would be $188,000.

Hayek told the board he would prefer to get a new bridge and spend less village money.

The Village Board gave Hayek the go ahead to pursue federal funding for the project.