LIBERTY — The Old 24 Compromise Road bridge crossing the West Fork of the Amite River northwest of Liberty is getting fixed.
The Amite County Board of Supervisors on Friday approved an $82,000 bid from Midway Construction of Roxie to repair the bridge, which has been separated from Old 24 Compromise Road by erosion.
No starting date was given. Midway owner Eddie Beach said he has to complete some ongoing projects before starting on the bridge. He has until Aug. 31 to complete the work.
The project is funded through an $85,000 federal Natural Resource Conservation Service grant, which will pay 85 percent of the project’s costs with the county paying 15 percent, or $12,750.
Midway was the lowest bidder on the project. Other companies submitting bids included Owen Holland & Sons of Bude, $97,674; Oddee Smith of Brookhaven, $112,135; and Dozer LLC of Natchez, $138,900.
“I feel good about this,” said District 1 Supervisor Dale Sterling, who represents the area. “I’m happy with the $82,000 bid. We only had $85,000 for the project, and we expected the bids to be over that.
“Now we need to get in there as soon as we can and fix the bridge before we get any storms or heavy rains, and that river gets high,” he said.
Old 24 Compromise Road runs between Highway 567 and Busy Corner Road.
Heavy rains that hit Amite and surrounding counties late last year and early this year caused the river to flood and begin forming a new channel that undercut part of the east bank, causing the breach between the road and the bridge.
The break forced county officials to close the road until the breach can be repaired.
Project engineer Jeffrey Stewart said repair plans for the bridge involve laying a 2-foot thick layer of riprap along the river’s eastern bank, starting at the base of the riverbank and going up the side for 170 feet upstream from the bridge to control erosion.
New wing walls will be built on either side of the bridge on the east side, and the gap between the bridge and the road will be back-filled before the road and the bridge are reconnected.
Stewart said about 900 tons of riprap is expected to used to help stabilize the bank.
In other action, the board:
• Authorized applying for a two-year, $144,709 U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Business Opportunity grant to hire a county planner and grant writer to develop a county-wide community development program for Amite County.
The grant pays for the planner and grant writer for two years. The supervisors will have to decide whether to pick up the salary — or salaries — after the grant expires.
• Accepted bids from Dickerson and Bowen of Brookhaven for hot and cold mix asphalt at $62 per ton for hot mix and $72 a ton for cold mix. The contract is for six months
• Accepted bids from Ergon of Jackson for liquid asphalt for six months.
• Approved paying a $41.44 bill for travel expenses to Meridian for the sheriff’s department.
• Approved a $220.45 refund to Mitch and Amy Wilson, whose property was double assessed for 2008 and 2009.
• Approved the purchase of a $903 winch for a Yamaha Rhino all-terrain vehicle. The winch will be bought through a Justice Assistance Local Law Enforcement grant.
• Approved a contract with Bateaste Janitorial Services to clean the floors in the Amite County Courthouse, Tax Assessor’s Office and the Welfare Building, and to provide janitorial services for the courthouse, Family and Child Services Building, Assessor’s Office and the Welfare Building.
