Sunday, September 23, 2001

The Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ – Several bridges in Adams County are making their

way through the complex bridge replacement process, said Jim Marlow,

the county’s state aid engineer.

Projects now under construction or being planned include:

— Replacing a bridge at Jackson Point with a box bridge, a

structure that is larger than a box culvert. Construction should

begin in earnest once high waters recede and, given good weather,

should take about two months to complete, Marlow said. Estimated

cost: $320,000.

— Replacing a concrete bridge spanning Melvin Bayou on Palestine

Road, near Adams County Christian School.

The county is now working to obtain rights-of-way from the

owners of property near the bridge, which was built in the 1930s.

The bridge’s sufficiency rating, on a scale of 0 up to 100, is

33.7. Estimated cost: $700,000.

— Replacing a concrete bridge spanning Chase Bayou on Kingston

Road with a box culvert. The county is waiting on approval from

the Office of State Aid.

&uot;We’re hoping to be under contract by the end of the year,&uot;

Marlow said. The bridge’s sufficiency rating is 47.7. Estimated

cost: $870,000.

— Replacing a bridge on Moss Grove Road – a structure currently

closed due to a wash-out – with a box culvert. The county is currently

working to acquire rights-of-way from property owners. The bridge’s

sufficiency rating is 25.9. The estimated cost of that project

was not available as of Friday.

— Replacing four timber bridges on Tate Road with box bridges.

Marlow is now drawing up plans and specifications for the project.

The bridges’ sufficiency ratings range from 34.9 to 46.6. Estimated

cost: A total of $600,000 for all four bridges.

— Replacing a 61-year-old timber bridge on Hutchins Landing

Road. Marlow has submitted a program form to the Office of State

Aid for the project, but he is not sure when approval may be granted

or how much the project might cost to complete. The bridge’s sufficiency

rating is 42.9.

— Replacing six timber bridges and one concrete bridge on

Anna’s Bottom Road with box culverts. Marlow has gotten authorization

from the Adams County Board of Supervisors to fill out a program

form for the project and submit it to the Office of State Aid,

but the form has not yet been completed.

He does not yet know an estimated cost for the project. The

concrete bridge’s sufficiency rating is 17.5; ratings for the

timber bridges range from 36.8 to 54.2.

Sufficiency ratings reflect such criteria as a bridge’s age,

dimensions and traffic count but do not necessarily reflect a

bridge’s structural integrity, Marlow pointed out.