A temporary road allowing access to the Bogue Chitto River at abridge construction project has been closed because of numerousthefts, an official said.

District Three Supervisor Nolan Earl Williamson said severalthefts of lumber and other items at a construction site on theBogue Chitto River Bridge project has led Mid-South ConstructionInc. of Columbia to close the temporary road to outsidetraffic.

“We apologize for the inconvenience, but because of the actionsof a few it’s got to be done,” he said.

The road was left open by the company to allow people to visitor fish along the river near the project, Williamson said. Severalpeople have been seen fishing along the river near the site everyday.

“If they get in there, then they’ll just have to walk,” he said.”I hate it, but it’s got to be.”

According to the supervisor, the company has lost “a bunk or twoa night for the last three nights.” A bunk, he said, isapproximately 280 boards.

“The last three days they’ve come in and got whole bunks oflumber,” Williamson said. “The company just can’t afford to loseany more. Not only are they out the cost of the lumber, but they’realso out the salaries of six to eight men who stand around forhours waiting for more lumber to arrive.”

The lumber is being used in the structure of bridge pilings andcaps, he said.

Williamson said he had not notified Lincoln County Sheriff WileyCalcote of the thefts and assumed the company had.

Thursday morning, Calcote said his department would investigatethe thefts.

“We’ll increase patrolling to see if we can catch these people,and we’ll begin an investigation immediately,” he said.