A small bridge on Dewey Street west of Main Street has been closed after it failed a federal inspection.
Mayor Justin McKenzie said Tuesday the city had put up temporary road signage, and the aldermen gave approval to close the structure permanently.
“The road is currently blocked off,” McKenzie said. “The federal inspectors called Engineer Jeff Dungan and he had 24 hours to notify the city and the county. We had 48 hours from the time he was notified to block it off.”
Ward 4 Alderman Mike Smith said the closures are something to take very seriously.
“In Wilkinson County, they (federal inspectors) closed bridges and the county didn’t close them – they lost federal road funds because of it,” he said.
Ward 3 Alderwoman Anna Evans made the motion that Dewey Street be closed at the bridge due to the federal inspection result. Smith seconded it and the Board unanimously approved it.
McKenzie said the bridge had been permanently closed before and the city had everything needed to reclose it. He said the only way it would reopen would be if it ever became feasible to rebuild the bridge, which is not on a highly trafficked road.
Pictured Above: The wood piling bridge on Dewey Street failed a recent federal inspection and has been closed. | Photo by Mark Rogers
