WisDOT Joins Barron County Officials To Announce Early Completion Of County T Bridge Project

BARRON COUNTY -- Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Secretary Craig Thompson today joined Barron County officials to celebrate completion of the County T bridge project, located north of US 8 near the city of Barron.

Built in 1965, the County T bridge over the Vermillion River was reaching the end of its service life. In October 2021, Barron County highway crews determined that, to maintain a safe crossing for vehicles, temporary supports under the girders along with posted weight and speed limit reductions were required.

Reconstruction of the County T bridge began in early April 2022. Crews replaced the structure with a new, single span concrete girder bridge. The project was completed using a combination of county and WisDOT Local Road Improvement Program (LRIP) funds. (LRIP was established by the state in 1991 to assist local units of government in improving seriously deteriorating county highways, municipal streets in cities and villages and town roads.) The County T bridge was completed under budget and ahead of schedule.

“We’re happy to help municipalities and counties across the state secure funding for investments in their infrastructure,” WisDOT Secretary Craig Thompson said. “The Barron County T bridge project exemplifies partnerships at all levels to streamline processes and make sustainable improvements to important local roads and bridges.”

“The County T bridge project displayed the power of cooperation and collaboration between Barron County and Wisconsin DOT,” Barron County Highway Commissioner Mark Servi said. “We recognized the need to make timely repairs and we’re grateful WisDOT was able to answer our call. Over the past eight months, we accelerated approvals, design plans and construction to provide a safe crossing for vehicles.”