Bank of Holly Springs

County works on wish list

The Marshall County Board of Supervisors looked over an emergency road and bridge repair request to the Mississippi Department of Transportation, under the advice of engineer Larry Britt.

He said a $250 million bond program authorized by the Legislature will provide some emergency money for projects in the state that are in dire need. Shovel-ready projects are preferred to be first on the list of requests, he said.

The county had submitted a form for some projects, Britt said. They included Tippah River Bridge, Marianna, and four or five smaller bridges and the so-called Goat Bridge.

MDOT came back with a notice to send out forms for project applications by November 16, Britt said.

That includes answering specific questions the state wants answers to, to evaluate the priority.

High priority projects will get the first consideration. The criteria include: if the bridge or road is closed or if the bridge is posted; the use of the bridge for such things as commerce, timber, manufacturing, project readiness, detour links, those having the widest or greatest impact, safety and commerce without regard to politics.

“All counties have closed bridges,” Britt said.

Goat Bridge is shovel-ready, he said, since rights-of-way have been obtained from all landowners.

Britt also put together a complete replacement plan for the Tippah River Bridge, which he recommended to supervisors as the best plan for the long haul to replace rather than repair. He will prepare a design and have it ready to go, as well. A plan for Marianna Road will also be put together for this round of applications. The group of smaller bridges probably do not need a set of plans, he said.

Supervisors approved a motion to proceed with plans to be submitted by November 16.

Other areas of effort the board is working on include the following claims and projects:

• the possible overlay of a temporary tie-in road at the Highway 72 interchange. The pavement now is crushed limestone. County road manager Larry Hall said heavy truck traffic coming from the intermodal yard in Tennessee makes it urgent to go ahead and put asphalt on this temporary tie-in from the south side of 72 to the north side.

“We may have to put down asphalt before winter for trucks running from the intermodal yard,” Hall said.

The county will try to get $250,000 or so to pay for it and ask the Mississippi Development Authority to help get Federal Highway Administration authority to do the job.

• authorized a payment of $196,547 for work at the Workforce Center. This leaves $1.76 million in the fund. Hall said the county hopes to work in soil cement if it gets dry enough the first week in November. The board also approved $3,873 for termite treatment that was left out by the architect but went in before the slab was poured.

• approved a claim for $20,900 for work on the Phoenix Tank Project being installed near the Niagara Bottling facility. There is $180,312 left in the fund for construction of the tank, Britt said.

• authorized $133,485 for sewer and gas project extension near the Cooper Tire facility. A closeout was approved for the water project to Cooper Tire for $11,944.

• approved a fast-pace gas project by the Town of Byhalia to put natural gas service to Spec #5 building near the Cooper Tire facility. The contractors for the building want to get the project ready to occupy soon.

Holly Springs South Reporter

P.O. Box 278
Holly Springs, MS 38635
PH: (662) 252-4261
FAX: (662) 252-3388
www.southreporter.com