A historic Paoli bridge that collapsed under the weight of a semi on Christmas Day could be fixed by late spring.
Orange County Commissioners President Don Brewer says the county hopes to get a bid back from a construction company for repairs by the end of this week. He's hopeful taxpayers won't have to foot any of the bill.
"The first bid we got was a little over a million dollars and the insurance company is not willing to go that high," Brewer says. "We're hoping this bid's going to come in somewhere around $700,000."
If the county accepts the bid, it could take up to 60 days to secure the proper permits to start work on the structure.
The Cleveland Bridge and Iron Company built the bridge on South Gospel Street in 1880. It's part of the Paoli Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. That means the bridge must be rebuilt to resemble how it looked before the collapse, according to Brewer.
"There's been federal money used in the past on the bridge, and they will tell you how it has to be done," Brewer says.
The county hopes construction will begin by late fall.