County engineer reports on projects

County engineer Larry Britt gave progress reports on a number of projects at the Oct. 7 meeting of the Marshall County Board of Supervisors.

He asked for authorization to put a line in the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act), contract that the county can terminate the project.

The ARPA project the county approved will put a sewer system on Hyline Drive off Highway 72.

The board approved the award of Donald Smith Company to install a test well and two permanent water wells at the battery plant site off Curl Road.

A change order was approved for $55,619 to pay for geotech fabric to stabilize the surface at the 7b entrance road to the battery plant.

The board approved pay estimate #1 for $19,162 to Yancey Brothers Construction. Pay estimate #5 for $112,808 was approved for Yancey Brothers, as well.

Britt said these estimates will almost complete the construction of the 7b truck road to the battery plant.

Supervisors approved a fee from Britt for $65,750 for the design of a five lane segment of road 7B.

A pay request for $355,402 to A & B Construction for work on the north side of Highway 72 at Gateway Global Drive was approved.

The water and sewer plan for Quality Drive is 90 percent complete, Britt said. He asked to advertise the project for bid.

Britt said a legislative grant for about $300,000 will be used to put 1,600 feet of water line on the west side of the road. The sewer will be placed to the east, cross the creek and tie in to a lift station on Jon Cris Drive.

Bids for an elevated water tank at the Project Poppy site will be taken.

District 4 supervisor George Zinn III asked about use of a $500,000 legislative grant to go to work on elevating bridges on Blackwater Road in his district. The project involves raising the bridges to about one foot above the flood plain and then raising the road bed to meet the bridges.

Britt said the money in hand could be used to take the bridge off its pilings and drive new pilings and then put the bridge surface back in place. Dirt could be borrowed from fields and used to raise the road, he said. County road crews could be used to do the dirt work for the road.

Britt said the flood elevation is about 300 feet going into Sardis Dam. The bridge would need to be raised to 301 feet elevation, he said.

Now one bridge is 296 feet below elevation and the other is 298 below elevation of the dam, he said.

The critical point is the money has to be spent or obligated by March 2025 or the grant will not be available.

Britt said the county can supply the bridge pilings and a contractor can be hired to drive the pilings.The road will still have to be built up to meet the elevation of the bridges.

Zinn said he has seen water over the bridge. Britt said he would reduce his fee from 12 percent to five percent to help the project get moving.

He estimated 40,000 yards of dirt will have to be borrowed to build up the road, perhaps procured from a nearby landowner.

“That’s 2,500 loads of dirt,” said District 2 supervisor Johnny Walker.

Zinn said the road surface could be graveled if funds were not sufficient to cap the road surface.

Zinn made a motion to advertise for the work and it passed by unanimous vote.

Britt said the Mississippi Department of Transportation is ready for the final inspection on the Tippah River Bridge. A ribbon cutting will be arranged.

The “Goat” bridge will be replaced after the long bridge opens. The project cost for the two bridges is $7 million.