L & M Contractors of Great Bend will begin the bridge deck repair project on SW 50 Avenue on Monday. The bridge crosses the Arkansas River approximately one mile south of US-56. The $398,945 project consists of removing the existing asphalt from the deck surface, removing deteriorated concrete and replacing it with new concrete, and constructing a thin concrete overlay to provide a new wearing surface. The work will be done one lane at a time with traffic being allowed across the adjacent lane with traffic signals. Concrete barriers will be placed near the center line of the bridge, resulting in a lane width of 10 feet. Wider loads will need to find an alternate route. Ninety working days are allotted for completion of all work. Work should be completed towards the end of 2017 depending on the weather.