Columbia and Marion County will be getting more than $3 million to repair bridges as part of an emergency state program.
State Rep. Ken Morgan, R-Morgantown, reported approval of the projects Tuesday and described it as good news for the local area.
In the county, just over $1.6 million will be going to replace two bridges on Williamsburg Road, and $631,000 was allocated for Old River Road South, according to the Mississippi Department of Transportation.
Columbia is getting just under $800,000 for a bridge on Columbia-Purvis Road. Construction should begin in the spring, Engineer Jeff Dungan said.
They are part of 163 projects totaling $250 million that the state Transportation Commission approved Tuesday. The Legislature passed a bond bill to borrow that amount during a special session last year, and MDOT then took applications. It received 690 applications for nearly $1 billion worth of projects and chose which ones to fund based on bridge condition, project readiness, traffic volume, mobility and economic impact.
Central District Commissioner Dick Hall thanked the governor and Legislature in a statement for “a step in the right direction” but added sustained funding is needed to address all the deteriorating bridges and crumbling roadways.
Repairs Approved
1. Williamsburg Road (sites A & B): $1,601,985
2. Columbia-Purvis Road: $799,837
3. Old River Road South: $631,000
