Bridge Closed Until Replacement
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SYLVA RENA – A deteriorating bridge on County Road 225 near Sylva Rena has been closed indefinitely as Yalobusha County moves forward with plans already underway to replace the structure.
District 3 Supervisor Kenny Harmon closed the bridge last week, citing it was a safety hazard. Harmon said the bridge has required repeated attention during his time in office, but its condition has now reached the point where another temporary repair does not make financial or safety sense.
“I just can’t patch it anymore,” Harmon said.
“It’s washed out way up under the asphalt,” Harmon said. “It’s just dangerous.”
Harmon said the bridge has been one of three in his district that have been programmed for replacement, and County Engineer Karl Grubb confirmed the County Road 225 bridge is already programmed for replacement through Mississippi’s State Aid Bridge Program.
Grubb said engineering work on the replacement is nearing completion.
“We have been designing on it,” Grubb said. “It is close to final assembly, which is basically the end stages of the design for State Aid.”
Instead of replacing the existing structure with another bridge, plans call for installation of a box culvert. Because the new structure will have a larger footprint, the county must acquire a small amount of additional right of way before the project can advance to bidding.
Grubb said his surveyor is scheduled to work on that portion of the project so the right-of-way acquisition process can begin. Once the necessary right of way is acquired, the plans can be submitted to State Aid and a bid date can be scheduled.
“When Kenny called me, it didn’t make sense to spend money on it when we were this close,” Grubb said. “It’s going to take a lot of money to fix it. It didn’t make sense to throw good money out there when we are this far along to getting it under contract to bid out to replace,” Grubb said.
Grubb said the biggest unknown before bidding is acquisition of the additional right of way. Once the project is bid, awarded and construction begins, he estimated the construction period itself could take approximately six months.
Grubb also said it is conceivable the project could reach the bid stage before the end of the year if the remaining steps proceed without delays.
