Jefferson and Douglas County commissions are at odds over whether to close the Lecompton bridge next year during major repairs.

Monday morning in Oskaloosa, Jefferson County commissioners voted 2-1 in favor of keeping one lane of the bridge open when the bridge deck is replaced and other repairs are made.

“We’re going to get a good bridge. It’s just going to take a little longer,” Jefferson County Commissioner David Christy said as he voted with Commissioner Lynn Luck to keep the bridge open.

Commissioner Francis Grollmes voted to close the bridge, putting him in line with the majority of the Douglas County Commission, which last week voted 2-1 in favor of closure.

But because the bridge across the Kansas River also spans the county line, the two counties have to reach a mutual agreement about what is going to be done, Jefferson County Counselor Steve Montgomery said. Otherwise, no bridge repairs will be made. Montgomery said he and his counterpart, Douglas County Counselor Evan Ice, are in agreement on that.

Last year, the two commissions reached an informal agreement that the cost of the bridge work would be shared by the counties on the basis of total property valuation, which means Douglas County would pay for most of the cost. The cost still needs to be determined.

Grollmes’ vote put him on the side of closing the bridge for what would amount to 140 days at a cost of more than $3.3 million. With contractor incentives to get the job done on time or sooner, it would be $3.5 million. That also was how Douglas County Commissioners Bob Johnson and Charles Jones voted.

Keeping the bridge open would take at least 320 days at a cost of more than $4 million. But Grollmes, as did Johnson and Jones last week, noted that the bridge will still need to be closed completely a few days at a time for a total of 50 to 60 days when concrete settles for various bridge sections.

Christy and Luck said they want the bridge open because of the damage closure would do to businesses, increased fuel costs, long bus routes for the Perry-Lecompton School District and stress on family and other personal relationships of people living on both sides of the river. Closure would cause those who regularly use the bridge to pass between Lecompton and Perry to take round-trip detours of more than 60 miles.

“If Douglas County makes a decision to close the doors on three ‘mom and pop’ operations, their (county’s) bottom line isn’t going to show it, but Jefferson County’s is going to show it,” Christy said. “I can’t sit here and put your businesses on the line for a bridge.”

About 25 people showed up for the commission meeting, causing it to be moved from the small commission meeting room to a courtroom. Several in the audience spoke in favor of leaving the bridge open.

“We really feel like we have no voice in Douglas County even though we support Douglas County,” Lecompton resident Kim Stewart said. “We have no say there at all.”

Douglas County Commissioner Jere McElhaney, who represents the Lecompton area, voted in favor of keeping the bridge open.

Douglas County Commission Chairman Johnson, however, said Monday that Lecompton-Perry residents’ arguments didn’t fall on deaf ears last week.

“I listened, I believe Charles did; we just came to a different conclusion,” he said.