Barton County will be taking the lead in the Kansas bridge-building world.
The Barton County Commission Monday morning approved a project engineering design services agreement with Ellsworth-based engineering firm Kirkham Michael for county bridge 200, located 2.7 miles east of Great Bend. It has been selected as part of the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Off-System Bridge Program.  
This will become the first geosynthetic reinforced soil bridge in the State of Kansas, said County Engineer Clark Rusco. This technique reduces construction time and cost, with costs reduced 25 to 60 percent from conventional construction methods.
Rather than drilling a deep foundation and using pilings, the reinforced soil method builds up layers of compressed rock separated by a membrane of high-tech synthetic fabric. Once these are done, the bridge deck is lowered into place.
The idea was first revisited in the 1970s, but serious research didn’t take place until the 1990s. The first GRS bridge in the United States was built in 2005 in Defiance, Ohio, and they are now common in many states.
This process reduces construction time from weeks to days, Rusco said. There is no need to wait for cast-in-place concrete to dry since the substructure is immediately ready for the bridge. In addition, on-site changes are easy to accommodate and weather is rarely a problem.
Bridges built with GRS IBS are stronger, more durable, stronger and flexible than bridges built using traditional methods, Rusco said. They can even withstand an earthquake.
To be eligible for program, a bridge has to have a current inspection report on file and be classified as deficient or functionally obsolete. 
The contract for the services totals $31,100.
The bridge itself will be funded 80 percent with KDOT Off System bridge funds.
In a related matter, the commission approved a proposal from Kirkham Michael for required bridge inspections. Work included under the proposal is routine inspections completed following the “Local Bridge Inspection Contract Scope of Services” as described in the Kansas Department of Transportation Bureau of Local Projects, said County Engineer Clark Rusco. The cost under the contract is $85 per bridge for 370 bridges for a total of $31,450.  
Rusco said the inspections have to be done every two years and are required by KDOT in order for the county to get its share of the federal highway funding that flows through the state.
However, there is an added benefit, he said. “We can use the data for our stuff.”
The engineering firm will look at the bridges for 100 different inspection points, rating them on a scale of 1-10. It will also take photographs that are “geo-tagged,” meaning GPS location and other information is imbedded in the image.
So, Rusco said these pictures can be used by the county to locate problems, inventory the bridges and help truckers find alternate routes if needed.
Kirkham Michael has done the inspections for several years.
In addition, the commission OKEd hiring Kirkham Michael to handle the preliminary engineering services for a bridge project located 1.8 miles east and 11.9 miles north of Claflin. Under the KDOT Local Bridge Improvement program, Barton County was awarded funding to replace the steel span bridge and KDOT will pay 90 percent of the service cost, with a 10 percent local match.  The maximum project cost is $120,000.