VALENTINE, Neb. – Two aging wooden bridges in Cherry County will soon be replaced with culverts, following a unanimous vote by county commissioners on Tuesday.

The bridges—located on Anderson Bridge Road and 908th Road—were flagged by Cherry County Highway Superintendent J.D. Osburn as safety hazards.

The structure on Anderson Bridge Road is seeing increased traffic, Osburn said, despite not meeting the length requirement to be included on the state bridge registry.

“We not only need to replace the bridge, but we need to widen the road to make it safer,” Osburn said. “Several people have gone off the road there. It’s a safety issue.”

Commissioner Mike McConaughey agreed, saying he's familiar with the bridge.
“There’s no sides to the bridge,” McConaughey said. “A driver could easily go off.”

As for the bridge on 908th Road, Osburn said the area receives very little traffic and is not part of the county’s regular maintenance routes.

“It’s deteriorating and going to cost a lot of money to replace it,” Osburn said. “In my opinion, it would be quite a savings for the county to do this.”

Replacing the bridge with a culvert will also remove the need for regular bridge inspections.