Gage County adopts one- and six-year road plan, adds CBMP-eligible projects and tube replacements

Gage County supervisors approved the county’s one- and six-year road-and-bridge plan and directed staff to pursue a mix of small-bridge replacements and projects positioned for bridge-match grants.

Road superintendent Rob Conkey reviewed the plan in a public hearing and said his office added four projects at the last minute that are eligible for the federal/state bridge-match program (CBMP). Conkey told supervisors that replacing short-span bridges with corrugated metal pipes (CMPs or "tubes") often saves the county hundreds of thousands of dollars compared with concrete box culverts, and that some tube installations now have life expectancies of 50 to 75 years.

Conkey described several sites in current work: a project at North 30 (Elm area/Hundred and 130th) with triple nine-foot units; a site south of Highway 8 with triple nine-footers; and several tube deliveries around Beatrice, including a triple 10-foot installation west of Southeast Community College. Conkey said crews have prioritized keeping structures shovel-ready so the county can move quickly when grant funding becomes available.

Supervisors approved Resolution 25-03 adopting the one- and six-year plan. The board voted 7–0 in favor following the public hearing.

Conkey explained the county’s project-selection approach: inspectors identify structures by condition and then evaluate options to remove load or width restrictions for agricultural traffic. Where hydraulics and site conditions allow, a tube replacement can be installed more quickly and at far lower cost than a box culvert.

The plan also anticipates future bridge-match application rounds and asks staff to prepare hydraulics and permit-ready documents so applications are "shovel ready" when the notice of funding opportunity is released.

The board’s approval allows staff to proceed with planned procurement and grant applications; supervisors asked staff to coordinate on project visuals for future meetings and to provide timelines and cost estimates for the largest projects.