Neligh seeks help for bridge

NELIGH — The City of Neligh has asked the Antelope County Board to reconsider some action it took last month on the historic Mill Bridge.
The bridge was severely damaged last June by flooding from the Elkhorn River. It currently rests submerged in the river.At a meeting May 3, the Antelope County Board voted not to spend money on the Old Mill Bridge, disappointing many Neligh residents who wanted it repaired.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency had authorized funds to repair the bridge, covering the majority of those costs.The bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1910, it, along with the Neligh Mill built in the 1880s, is considered by many to be a Northeast Nebraska treasure.
Along with lifting the old bridge and resetting it, a jump span would have been needed to repair the old bridge.
Since the action by the County Board, some residents have questioned whether a historic bridge can be taken down without permission from the state historical society.
Also, Federal Emergency Management Agency rules state that the alternate projects proposed by the County Board instead of fixing the bridge may not meet FEMA's guidelines.