The McLeod County Board last week approved a plan to build eight new bridges between now and 2011.

Seven of the bridges had previously been found deficient by inspectors, including the County Road 84 bridge south of Lester Prairie, which has been closed since December after it was deemed “fracture critical.”

The County Road 84 bridge had originally been slated for replacement in 2010, but County Highway Engineer John Brunkhorst said, “Obviously, we’re trying to fast track that one.”

Another new bridge is scheduled to be built just west of Hutchinson this year, to replace three adjacent culverts near the Crow River on 180th Street, in Lynn Township.

For more on this story, see the Leader's March 25 print edition.

(Jorge Sosa is a staff writer for the Hutchinson Leader. He can be reached at sosa@hutchinsonleader.com)