By Alyssa Schnugg
Staff writer
alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com
With fewer state funds being appropriated to help counties with the expense of fixing roads and bridges, the costs of maintaining and replacing dilapidated bridges are falling hard on the shoulders of local governments, including Lafayette County.
On Thursday, the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors accepted a $2.4 million bid from N L Carson Construction for the replacement of three bridges on County Road 100 off Old Sardis Road.
The county received a Federal Land Access Program grant for $1.6 million to help pay for the project.
The cost to replace the three bridges, including engineering and contingency costs is an estimated $2.8 million.
The supervisors now have to come up with more than $1.1 million to completely fund the project.
Supervisor and board president Jeff Busby said the funds would likely come from a general obligation bond.
“We’re still discussing that,” he said Thursday during a recessed meeting.
County Engineer Larry Britt said the bridges would take about a year to build and construction could begin in September.
One of the bridges is currently closed to only allow one lane of traffic and the other two have sufficiency ratings below the standard, Britt said.
