On Monday, the county commissioners agreed on a $1.5 million construction project contract to improve bridges in Grand Junction.

There are three bridges within a half mile of each other off 24 Road that will be
replaced. Construction will begin as soon as the irrigation canals are dry, and construction should be complete by April of next year.

Because the bridges are so close to one another, the county says it makes sense to do them all at once to minimize the inconvenience for people in the area.

The county does a regular inspection of all bridges.

“The bridges were put in when there was less traffic on the county roads,” Jessica Peterson with mesa county said. “They're narrow and really don't quite meet the amount of traffic that the roads see nowadays.”

The county will pay for the construction from it's capital budget. It's a fund that's only used for infrastructure improvements in Mesa County and comes from sales tax dollars.

The amount that the county has to spend changes every year and commissioners have to prioritize the projects based on how much they have to spend and the safety concerns for the community.