The Pearl River bridge on U.S. 98 will be closed on Thursday beginning at 6 a.m. and should reopen around 5 p.m., if not sooner. The bridge was closed Monday to fill a void under a concrete slab, but crews worked overnight to reopen the roadway for Tuesday morning.
The void was filled with a flowable fill concrete material, which restabilized the bridge slab overnight. The affected slab sits on top of the roadway embankment as motorists approach the bridge.
MDOT Project Engineer Jordan Whittington said the deterioration that caused the closure occurred naturally as flowing water can move existing material out. He added that the issue was spotted during routine work and the void opened up all the way to the shoulder of the road, enough to be seen visually.
“T.L. Wallace believed it was a safety issue, so they took action to get the road closed so we could investigate it. I give them credit for making that decision,” Whittington said. “We’re always worried about the safety about the traveling public. … I know it was an inconvenience, but I appreciate the patience the people had and understanding that we needed to make sure it was safe before putting people back on it.”
The scheduled closure Thursday will allow crews to inject foam underneath the bridge slab, which will ensure that any remaining void is filled.
