Reconstructing a bridge takes time—and far more time than the actual labor takes.
The preliminary plans for the Johnson Road Bridge were completed in February 2020, and there is still a long, long way to go.
Before any actual work can begin on site as far as dismantling the old bridge and building the new one, many studies and agreements must be completed, including environmental, right of way and utility. It may seem tedious, but there is so much more than what meets the eye to complete just one bridge.
A wetland delineation study must be done by the state and submitted to the Army Corps of Engineers. Any plan that involves a piece of property that has waters that are potentially connected to neighbors or other communities, which are considered public waters, must be permitted using the 1987 Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual that entails the analysis of vegetation, hydrology and soils of the project area to determine the presence or absence of a wetland area.
The wetland assessment for the Johnson Road Bridge was completed in September 2021. It had to be done because Hurricane Creek is used by, and runs through, the community.
A National Resource Conservation Service Farmland Impact survey must be done. This was instituted by the Farmland Protection Policy Act, and projects are subject to these requirements if they may irreversibly convert farmland to nonagricultural use and are completed with assistance from a federal agency.
The Farmland Impact survey for the Johnson Road Bridge was also completed in September 2021.
The Mississippi Department of Archives and History had to concur with the plan's approval, and it did so in February 2021.
Both the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks had to do inspections and approve the work to be done to assure no endangered wildlife habitat is destroyed. One example of that would be if a gopher tortoise lived in the area. Nothing was found at the site and the approvals were received in September and October 2021.
An Archives and History Cultural Resource Survey is almost always required and involves the area being looked at by an archaeologist. The primary objective of this survey is to identify and record all cultural resources in a project area. These may include historical farmstead sites, Native American habitation sites, and standing structures or other man-made features such as old roadbeds or cemeteries.
The cultural resource survey for the Johnson Road Bridge was completed in January 2022.
The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality required a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan to assure that excessive amounts of silt do not run into Hurricane Creek. This is prevented with use of a silt or black fence or a wattle.
The soil around the new proposed bridge location had to be tested to see how sandy it was. Testing must be done for sulfates, which will react badly with concrete. The area around Johnson Road is not high in sulfates, so the concrete pilings will be fine.
Lastly, the planners had to be sure the pilings would not interfere with the flow of the creek when placed.
After the environmental issues were addressed, the county had to acquire the right of way. Boundary surveys had to be done to acquire or get permission to use the needed property. The county engineer does this. The landowner can sell, donate or allow access to the area. Since the bridge is being moved, the landowner, George Thomas, had to be approached about the land he owned around the new location. The right of way certification was completed in December 2021.
Finally, the utility companies, such as AT&T and Pearl River Valley Electric Power Association (PRVEPA), had to be contacted to determine if there were any utility conflicts with the proposed change. PRVEPA had to move some power lines in order to allow the project to move forward. The utility agreements were sent to utility owners in August 2021 and were completed in February 2022. Looks Great Services was subcontracted to remove limbs and debris when PRVEPA finished.
In May 2022, the Mississippi Office of State Aid Road Construction gave its final concurrence with the plans, and the notice to proceed was presented on June 6, 2022.
Making way for the new bridge has begun. In part three of the story, the C-P will look at the building process.
