Supervisor Award Bridge Project On County Road 2

By David Howell
Editor

WATER VALLEY – Supervisors accepted bids to replace a bridge on County Road 2 during a recessed meeting held last Friday in Water Valley. The bridge has been closed since January, after the Office of State Aid Road Inspection 2009 report cited numerous safety deficiencies with the structure. The bridge is located near Tillatoba.    

    Union Construction of  Etta was awarded the job after submitting the low bid, $347,062.03. A total of five companies bid the project.

    The replacement project comes after a lengthy delay stemming from a legal problem with property deeds from adjacent landowners.        

    County Engineer Robert Willis estimated it would be four weeks before paperwork would be completed, and a Notice To Proceed was issued allowing Union Construction to start work on the replacement project.

    The bridge is located in District 5, and supervisor Frank “Bubba” Tillman reported that he has fielded numerous calls from people inquiring on the status of the bridge replacement.

    “I had four calls this morning,” Tillman added.

    Supervisors received five bids for the project, ranging from $383,631.74 to  Union’s low bid.

    Other business conducted at the meeting included:    

    • Voted 5 – 0 to turn down a request from Oakland Mayor Riley Swearengen to purchase the Oakland Yalobusha Natural Gas District. Swearengen had reported to supervisors that the gas district was delinquent on loan payments and could be sold.

    • Released a hold from an unpaid garbage allowing Betty Russell to purchase a tag. Russell, who attended the meeting, showed documentation that she had only lived at the address where the bill was sent for two months. She agreed to pay for two months. Her mother, who lives on the same property, will be required to pay the outstanding $386.

    • Amended the coroner’s budget in the amount of $21,580. The adjustment was approved to give purchase a van and equipment for Coroner Ronnie Stark.

    • Approved an application by Timberland Harvesters to exceed to posted weight limits on County Roads 215, 222, and 141 in District Five while hauling timber.

    • Voted to begin site preparation work on the jail site. Vaughn noted that Hill, Lewis and Wrenn already had much of the survey information. The prep work will be necessary for the architect to begin work. Supervisors have not hired an architect yet.

    “Ninety percent of the stuff that is going to be stuff that he (Hill) has already done,” Vaughn said.