The contractor repairing the Kansas River bridge at Lecompton can earn $10,000 a day for every day it comes in ahead of deadline.

Douglas County commissioners Monday approved an incentive package for A.M. Cohron & Son Inc. that caps the bonus at 10 days, or $100,000.

The bridge, on Douglas County Road 1029, was closed last week for a $2.5 million redecking project. The county’s contract with Cohron calls for repairs to be “substantially completed” by Aug. 10. Cohron would lose $10,000 per day for each day the bridge is not open after that date.

Commissioners said they were able to offer the incentives because Jefferson County commissioners agreed in a 2-1 vote to help Douglas County pay for the bridge repairs. That freed up money for Douglas County to offer the incentives.

Last week the two counties’ attorneys worked out the details of an agreement that has Douglas County paying about 89 percent of the project’s cost and Jefferson County 11 percent. The amounts are based on a proportion of the counties’ individual total assessed valuation.

“That sounds like nothing but good news to me,” Douglas County Commissioner Charles Jones said.

Commissioner Jere McElhaney agreed.

“I think it’s our obligation to move this project along as quickly as possible,” he said. “That’s been our intent from day one.”

Commissioner Bob Johnson wasn’t present because he was out of town.

Last year Jefferson County broke with Douglas County when two of its three commissioners – Dave Christy and Lynn Luck – wanted to keep one lane of the bridge open during repairs while Douglas County wanted it closed.

The bridge connects the two counties. Keeping one lane of the bridge open would have taken longer, cost more and presented its own safety problems, Douglas County officials said.

Luck was defeated in her re-election bid last year. In February Jefferson County raised the bridge issue again and Luck’s replacement, Don Edmonds, and Commissioner Francis Grollmes voted to join Douglas County in paying for the bridge. Dave Christy voted against paying.

In Monday’s final vote on the bridge agreement, however, all three Jefferson County commissioners voted to approve the payment.