By: Matt Scher, matts@977thebolt.com
Dakota City, IA – The historic Murray Bridge west of Rutland will remain closed indefinitely after an engineering inspection determined the structure suffered extensive damage in a May 5 crash.
Located on Florida Avenue in Avery Township, the bridge was inspected by engineering firm Shuck Britson, Inc., which found numerous bent and twisted structural members throughout the historic truss bridge.
Humboldt County Engineer Ben Loots told the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors the bridge cannot safely reopen.
“According to Iowa, when it comes to bridges, you can’t load rate a bridge for less than three tons, and this bridge was already at three tons prior to the hitting and damage that was done,” Loots said.
Engineers also concluded repairing the bridge would likely require removing the entire structure from its supports before repairs could begin.
“Looking at the amount of damage, it would be significant repairs. You would almost have to pick up the bridge, move it to dry land, do the repairs, and then move the bridge back out onto the piers, making it fiscally irresponsible for us to try and attempt,” Loots said.
County officials say the investigation into who struck the bridge is ongoing.
The bridge will remain closed while county leaders evaluate long-term options for the historic structure.