TUPELO — After over two years of deliberation and multiple repairs, Lee County officials have closed a portion of County Road 1213 that includes a bridge in severe disrepair.
The Lee County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to abandon a stretch of County Road 1213 that encompasses a decaying bridge following a Monday morning public hearing with little public input.
“There are many deficiencies on the bridge, and State Aid decided to close the bridge permanently,” District 1 Supervisor George Rutledge said.
Rutledge, who represents the area where the bridge is located, reviewed the events that led to this closure, noting that the bridge receives funding and oversight through Mississippi’s State Aid Road Program. Both state and local engineers recommended closing the bridge rather than repairing or replacing it.
Rutledge said the street count before the bridge’s temporary closure was 10 vehicles a day. Engineers estimated the cost to replace the bridge at $4.5 million.
While the stretch of roadway containing the bridge was abandoned, the road as a whole was not, meaning the county is still obligated to maintain the road on either side of the bridge. County Road Manager Tim Allred noted that the road allows for entrances on either side of the bridge, so property owners can still access their land. Officials said the landowners are aware of the closure.
Richard O. Wilson, who does not own property on County Road 1213, said he believed it was a waste to abandon the bridge, adding that he thinks the bridge can be brought back into service for significantly cheaper by making repairs to the rusted-out pilings. He noted that the county previously spent a little over $100,000 in repairs and believed the board should not walk away from the repairs.
“I’m not a professional engineer, but I studied engineering. It’s simple work. It’s not that hard,” he said. “Your business is to take care of the roads for us.”
District 5 Supervisor Barry Parker argued that the cost to replace the bridge was too much to justify the replacement. He further said the county has a maintenance program for roads and bridges.
“They can repair it themselves if they want to use it,” he said. “(It’s) $90,000 to $4.5 million. We sit here and try to manage money to better the whole county … We have to make a decision on what’s best for the county.”
Donna Wardlaw asked the board who retains ownership of the property the bridge is on once it is abandoned. Parker said the property owners on either side of the bridge will own the property, splitting ownership at the center of the road.