photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World File Photo

The Douglas County Courthouse is pictured in September 2018.

The Douglas County Commission on Wednesday will consider awarding a construction contract to repair a bridge just south of Lawrence.

In a memo to county commissioners, Public Works Director Keith Browning said the project would repair the bridge carrying East 1400 Road over the Wakarusa River. The bridge is directly south of the Baker Wetlands.

The project includes rehabilitating the abutments supporting the bridge and repairing areas of deteriorated concrete, among other improvements.

The county received four bids for the project, with Wildcat Construction submitting the lowest at a total of $306,000. Browning told the Journal-World Monday that county staff would recommend that commissioners approve the Wildcat Construction bid.

The other three bids are from PCI Roads, $323,000; Comanche Construction, $340,000; and Bettis Asphalt, $350,000, according to the agenda.

Browning said in the memo that the Public Works Department wants to begin the project “as soon as possible.” He said his office expected to finish the project between late spring and early summer.

In other business, the commissioners will hear an update from the Kansas Department of Transportation on the status of the project to widen the western leg of the South Lawrence Trafficway.

The County Commission will meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the county courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St. Full agendas are available online at douglascountyks.org.