By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

County commissioners, in late April, approved entering into an agreement with Fargo-based Houston Engineering for design services to replace a bridge along County Highway One over the Dead River near Walker Lake and the northeast side of Otter Tail Lake. The cost will not exceed $117,391.

The current bridge is a structurally deficient timber bridge, eligible for state bridge replacement funding. The bridge will be replaced no later than 2029.

County commissioners noted, that in association with Houston Engineering, completed projects in Otter Tail County the past 15 years are high-quality, safe and dependable for county residents. 

“Houston Engineering has served the Otter Tail County Highway Department as a trusted advisor on many projects,” said County Engineer Jodi Teich. “We are confident that Houston Engineering will bring a talented team giving us the ability to complete all design phases required for this bridge replacement.”

Wes Keller, Houston Engineering project manager for the Dead River bridge replacement, is a structural design engineer who specializes in bridge and structure design. He works closely with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) State Aid Bridges division to obtain a solid understanding of bridge requirements.

Houston Engineering previously contracted with Otter Tail County for a bridge replacement on County Highway 143 over the Leaf River, southwest of Bluffton in eastern Otter Tail County. This required hydraulic analysis, risk assessment and design plans that met the requirements of the MnDOT).