WAHOO, Neb. (AP) — An eastern Nebraska county is nearly caught up on its bridge repair work spanning the last decade.

Saunders County was forced to replace or repair about 100 bridges after a 2007 Minnesota bridge collapse led to tougher standards for regulations and inspections. The county is finally close to reopening its bridges, but there’s still work to be done on many open bridges that are considered structurally deficient.

The county’s highway department has 78 projects planned for the next six years, with 43 prioritized for this year. Nearly all of this year’s projects will focus on structurally deficient bridges, which have low weight limits.
The 43 projects listed this year are estimated to cost more than $7.5 million. Bridge work is funded through county money, federal aid and a state initiative.