Some rural residents are seeing their usual travel inconvenienced while Ward County negotiates with an insurance company and develops plans to replace a bridge on the Ward-McHenry County line.

The bridge over the Souris River collapsed Oct. 9 as the operator of a John Deere 9560 Crawler pulling a ProTill PT40 plow attempted to cross it. The road is located seven miles northwest of Velva on a Velva Township road in McHenry County, but Ward County is responsible for the bridge.

The Ward County Commission on Tuesday morning approved advertising for an engineer to design a replacement bridge. A design could be completed and environmental study done by next summer. Construction would not be complete until the following year.

Highway engineer Dana Larsen said a new structure is expected to be at least 50 feet longer on each end to meet floodway standards. The former bridge was 132 feet long.

A few residences are located in the area, and the absence of a bridge adds a detour of eight to 12 miles. Larsen told the county’s highway committee Tuesday afternoon that residents are hoping for a temporary structure because their alternate route is a road not typically maintained in the winter. However, Larsen estimated a temporary structure would cost up to $250,000 to install and remove later.

Commissioner John Pietsch voiced concern about the inconvenience to residents without a temporary structure.

“I think the insurance company should just about give us a bridge while ours is being replaced,” he said.

The committee decided to meet with its attorney before pursuing a temporary bridge.

Larsen said specifications of the equipment indicate it was too wide by about three feet to cross the bridge. The tractor also weighed about twice the bridge’s 21 ton capacity. Larsen said his inspection and that of other engineers also indicated contact by the equipment that damaged upper bridge structures necessary for strength. Larsen estimated the drop to the river was about 30 feet.

Larsen said the equipment owner’s insurance company has approved removal of the bridge but requires the pieces be placed in secured storage.

“This is also going to drive up the cost of the removal and storage considerably,” he said. “The goal is to get it out before there is snow everywhere and the water is frozen, but the way this is going, it’s probably not going to happen because of the demands from the insurance company.”

The committee acknowledged that another option is to inform the insurance company that it has 14 days to complete its inspections, and if that can’t be accomplished, it must reimburse the county for any extra cost in removal and storage. The county also could ask the company to take possession of the bridge and remove it. The committee concluded it will be necessary to work through the county’s attorney in discussions with the insurer.