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KAYSVILLE -- A bridge in Kaysville is buckling at the seams, and while engineers say it's not as bad as it looks, city leaders are threatening legal action if someone doesn't step up to the plate and fix it.
The 200 North overpass was built in 2008. This $21-million, 4-year-old bridge may look normal to the average passing driver, but underneath, large panels appear as though they're ready to fall off.
Both state and city engineers say the road itself is safe, but Kaysville city leaders and residents aren't buying it.
What we're concerned about most as a city is the exposure and liability to our taxpayers.
–Kaysville Mayor Steve Hiatt
Nearby homeowners like Crystal Gammon can't help but wonder why it looks more like a falling deck of cards.
"The more jutted out they become, they're going to become loose," she said. "There's a lot of traffic coming down that road."
Kaysville Mayor Steve Hiatt argues the builder should simply step up and repair the panels. Instead, the responsibility is currently held up between two insurance companies and the contractor.
"What we're concerned about most as a city is the exposure and liability to our taxpayers," he said. "That's ultimately what we're pushing, and we've run out of patience for."
Officials with both the city and the Utah Department of Transportation report drivers don't need to worry about the road.
"The bridge is totally safe," said UDOT spokesman Vic Saunders. "A little bit of patience pays off in the long term."
In other words, tough as the bridge may be to look at, Saunders says it's best to wait for the pieces to stop settling before any repairs are made.
The bridge is totally safe. A little bit of patience pays off in the long term.
–UDOT spokesman Vic Saunders
"We understand their frustration," said Saunders. "They want their construction project complete. But it would not be in the best interest of taxpayers if we went ahead and rushed to a conclusion now."
Hiatt said he isn't pushing for a fix to be made before the movement settles, but he wants a commitment on who is going to take responsibility for the problem. If the contractor and insurance companies can't figure out who's paying for this in the next two months, the mayor says his city will take legal action.
"At the end of the day, when you pay $21 million for something, you want it done right the first time," he said.
In defense of the contractor, UDOT officials say shifting like this isn't uncommon and that it's very tough to predict. This is part of the reason they have insurance.
Saunders says engineers are closely watching the situation.
Kaysville city initially put $6 million into the bridge. The remaining funds came from federal grants secured by UDOT.
