County Engineer gives board estimate of funds needed for bridges
During last week’s meeting of the Pearl River Board of Supervisors, County Engineer Les Dungan suggested to the board that they consider looking at an option to borrow money to expedite the bridge rehabilitation work pertaining to the replacement of timber pilings on county bridges. Dungan said this loan could be paid back once the county receives funding that was recently approved by the legislature from the special session around use tax from online sales.
Dungan (pictured standing) followed up from last week and told the board he prepared an estimate to finish the work needed to repair and replace the remaining timber based piling bridges is around $4 million. He said if the state funding for the two bridges on Sliver Run-Progress Hill Road is delayed, the county will need another $1.2 million to finish the project they are currently slated for federal funds.
Dungan said the bridge on Shenandoah Road that runs parallel to I-59 just above Highway 26 and spans Beaverdam Creek is the highest priority to be repaired. He asked the board for approval to let the work on this bridge out for bidding and the board approved. The board approved his request.
Board Vice President Hudson Holliday asked Dungan if he felt the next round of inspections in December would bring about any bridge closures? Dungan said from what he has observed in other counties, it is likely that some bridges in Pearl River County would be closed. Dungan said the county has spent approximately $300.000.00 on temporary repairs on bridges to keep them open while waiting for federal and state funding to be approved.
Dungan also addressed questions from the board concerning the status of striping the roads recently paved as part of the county wide paving project that included Palestine Road, Derby Whitesand, and Oak Hill. Dungan said he had spoken with the striping contractor and he was told by the contractor that it would be in Pearl River County to complete the work by the end of this week or next week.
