The bridges are over Hesikiah Creek, three miles southwest of Vian, and over LaRue Creek on Moonshine Road northwest of Vian.
District 2 Commissioner Steve Carter said the two bridge projects were sent to the state for final approval Monday. The bridge projects will be paid for by 80 percent federal money and 20 percent county money.
David Meuser, an ODOT public information officer, said Tuesday that ODOT did approve the projects Monday and awarded contracts. The bridge over LaRue Creek will cost $328,756 and C-GAWF Construction Inc. of Eufaula was the low bidder. The bridge over Hesikiah Creek will cost $344,654. The low bidder was OBC Inc. of Okarche.
Ron Cagle, the county's engineer who is with Kelly Engineering of Tahlequah, said construction on the two bridges could begin by Sept. 1. "The earliest they could get started will be Sept. 1," Cagle said. "Construction usually begins within 45 days of final approval."
Carter added that the bridge over Hezikiah Creek has been closed for between two and three years, and the Vian School System is having to pay parents of children on the west side of the bridge to bring their children to school since the school bus cannot get to the children because of the bridge.
Dealings with the U.S. Corps of Engineers and the Sequoyah Wildlife Refuge have slowed bridge construction because of all the processes both those federal agencies must go through, Carter said, which included impact studies and the transfer of property.
Cagle presented an inspection of the new bridge west of Marble City over a tributary of Sallisaw Creek. After a review by the commissioners, the inspection will be placed on next week's agenda.
The commissioners also approved declaring a wench and four vehicles as surplus for District 3. District 3 Commissioner Mike Huff said the surplus items will be sold at the next county auction.
The Web site services and database management contract for the County Assessor's Office was also approved.
