BROOKHAVEN — Lincoln County Engineer Ryan Holmes gave an update on local bridge projects Tuesday morning. The update came as part of a large engineering report in a regularly scheduled Board of Supervisors meeting. 

Holmes first reminded the supervisors to make sure the area around their bridges are clean and sprayed with herbicide. Spring green up is coming. 

“We appreciate when you clean around the bridges it helps our guys get in and out,” Holmes said. 

Moving on, Holmes said they are working on closing out the bridge project on Auburn Drive. He explained they had partially released the construction company from liability. Grasswork on the slopes by the bridge is the final hurdle before it can be officially completed. Drier conditions are needed before then. 

Work is underway on Bethel Road and it won’t be long before the bridge on Lott Smith is closed. Signs have gone up notifying drivers of the bridge work. Work on Lott Smith will begin March 3. 

“They are still on track to start in a couple of weeks,” Holmes said. “They will drive test pilings and determine how long the permanent pilings need to be. It will take weeks. It will look like they aren’t doing anything for weeks.”

Over on Bethel Road, between Stillwood Lane and MS-583, clearing work has begun in what Holmes referred to as a mudhole after recent rainfall. Beacon Construction is working on the project. 

Design work on one bridge project is underway and another the County has done all it can. 

“On Old US51, we have sent everything we can to the state we are waiting to hear back. Plans are done from our standpoint,” Holmes said. “On Russell Lane, we have finished surveying. We will start environmental work and a drill crew will come out there. We have to drill 80 foot holes on each end to help with piling design. It will be a three span bridge. It is moving along. We will need to get right of way too and the bridge will be raised some.”

Speaking of bridges, Holmes pointed to the stack of bound papers in front of each supervisor. District 3 Supervisor John David Hart had the biggest stack of the group while District 5 Supervisor Doug Falvey had the smallest stack. 

“Those are bridge reports, it is in our contract that we have to print those out,” Holmes said. “Those are the bridges that were inspected and they are not always the ones inspected last year. Just a quick refresh, if it is in good condition or rating it is inspected every 24 months, if not it is inspected every 12 months. We look at diameter pipes, box culverts, concrete bridges, steel pylon bridges, We don’t inspect timber bridges. There is an executive summary in the report. If there is a problem you would know about it.”