Burleigh County Commissioner Marlan "Hawk" Haakenson conceded saving the venerable Liberty Memorial Bridge is economically not feasible after a presentation by the North Dakota Department of Transportation Tuesday.

NDDOT's Dave Leftwich told Haakenson that saving the bridge had been brought up in earlier public meetings and the idea had been studied.

"The concept isn't a bad one and was brought up in public discussion," Leftwich said. "It was looked at and ruled out for a few reasons."

The biggest reason is the $27 million estimate it will cost to put the bridge back into a safe shape.

"There's the severe cracking in the piers themselves," Leftwich said. "To fix the piers we'd have to lift up the bridge and entirely replace the piers. There is no way to fix the piers other than replacing them."

The cracks extend from the caps at the top of the piers nearly 15 feet down and are presently held together with braces.

Leftwich also pointed out that the corrosion on the outside of the metal structure is actually penetrating at each rivet hole and juncture.

"All the joints are rusting out and at the rivets. It's what's called pack rust. It's in the joints not just on the surface. The only way to fix it is to take it apart and that's why we have the high cost," Leftwich said. "If it would have just been a matter of sandblasting and painting we would have kept it. The key is you just can't blast it off, you have to take it apart."

Salt also has leached through the deck and corroded the rebar in the concrete. This is evidenced by the metal ribs below the deck which are rusted, even though they are protected from the elements.

Haakenson had proposed using funds to relocate utility lines from the old bridge and the funds for its demolition to save it, or at least put them aside to pay for future maintenance.

"County engineer Jon Mill told me it would cost a ton of money,"Haakenson said. "I think you've shown more than enough. You've convinced me. Saving it just doesn't make good economical sense. I hate to see old structures and monuments go by the wayside."

The bridge was built in 1922 at a cost of $1.3 million. Leftwich added that a portion of the steelwork will be used in the accompanying park as a memorial.

"It's a neat looking bridge and actually one of a kind,"Leftwich said. "Look at how the members go, there are no vertical members. The way the trusses are set up, they don't normally do that anymore. The bridge has served its purpose."

It also was noted that there are plans for the approaches on either side of the bridge. The new bridge will use the west approach while a portion of the east approach will be used in the plaza being built with the new bridge.

Bids for the new Liberty Memorial Bridge, to be built just 75 feet south of the existing structure, will be opened Nov. 18. The engineer's estimate is $40 million but with costs escalating for cement and steel, Leftwich says there are some concerns that the bids may be significantly higher.

Leftwich said demolition of the old bridge could be similar to how the Four Bears Bridge in New Town is being taken down, with explosions. But he added that the manner of demolition will be up to the contractor and there are alternatives to be looked at. "They could actually lift it with a crane and take it out,"he said.