6 February 2024
LYON COUNTY (KSNT) – A person driving in the pre-dawn hours on Sunday in rural Lyon County got a big surprise when a bridge collapsed beneath their tires.
John M. Koelsch, undersheriff at the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, told KSNT 27 News his office received a call at 4:40 a.m. on Feb. 4 about a crash at a local bridge. Upon arrival at the scene, law enforcement found the pavement had buckled over the bridge. The individual driving over the bridge when it started to fall apart sustained minor injuries during the incident but refused medical treatment at the scene.
The bridge lies on Road 170 just a few miles north of Neosho Rapids and crosses over a local dry creek. Comments from Warren Chip Woods, Lyon County’s engineer, point to a century-old bridge that was slated for repairs prior to the reported failure.
“We had programed the bridge to be replaced due to the fact that it was built in the late 1920’s or early 1930’s on the old state highway known as the “Santa Fe Trail” road,” Woods said. “We have previously replaced all of the other bridges on the old state highway.”
He said the replacement of the old bridge was scheduled with local forces and funds as federal funds were not eligible for the project. Woods estimates the cost to repair the bridge may exceed $100,000, but emphasizes no concrete plans exist for this at the current time.
“The bridge is beyond repair,” Woods said.
So why did it collapse? Woods said a mixture of high water from snow runoff and recent rain were the main culprits that led to the bridge collapse. The water damaged the west abutment of the bridge which caused it to collapse.
“I have asked BG Consultants, Inc. for a proposal for the survey, plans and permits for a replacement bridge that we will build with our forces and funds,” Woods said. “Due to the length of time that it will take to get the required permits and replacement material, it is doubtful that we will get the new bridge built this year.”
KDOT spokeswoman Kim Stich said the department is not investigating what led up to the bridge’s collapse. It is being handled exclusively by the Lyon County Public Works Department. KDOT will only step in to assist with repairs if Lyon County applies for one of KDOT’s bridge programs.
Last year, the Kansas Department of Transportation and Governor Laura Kelly announced bridge repairs happening statewide. More than $42 million in funds were earmarked for repairs in numerous counties in 2024 and 2025, including a bridge repair project in Lyon County.
A total of $6 million in awarded funds and KDOT match funds were slated for the repair of a bridge over the Cottonwood River about seven miles west and half a mile south of Neosho Rapids. The bridge that collapsed last weekend was not among those listed for repairs.
In 2022, the partial collapse of a bridge on I-70 in Topeka prompted KDOT officials to launch inspections for nearly 300 bridges in the state. This round of inspections focused on bridges that were of similar construction to the one that had collapsed in Topeka. Stich confirmed the Lyon County bridge that collapsed on Feb. 4 was not among those inspected in 2022.
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