A bridge replacement on McElhenny Road is being delayed due to issues with suppliers during the coronavirus pandemic.
In a Board of Supervisors meeting May 4, County Engineer Duane Stanford told the board the contractor for the project was having issues getting materials while suppliers were shut down or limiting work.
“Since this virus, bridge parts have gotten locked up,” he said. “They’re not able to get any parts until July.”
Stanford said the Office of State Aid Road Construction, which signed off on the project, sent a letter informing counties they were aware of the supplier delays and would allow counties to postpone or extend projects if need be.
“All it needs is a board order,” he said.
The project will not be cancelled, Stanford said. Work will resume as soon as materials are available.
In other business, Stanford told the board the Office of State Aid Road Construction had approved three of the four projects the board voted on in its April 6 meeting. The projects, which total about $1.8 million in State Aid funds, include bridge repairs on Hickory Fellowship Road and Pleasant Ridge Road and earmark more than $700,000 for road resurfacing.
The only fourth project, which uses about $600,000 in Local System Bridge Project funds to repair two bridges on Pine Ridge Road, has not been approved. Stanford said it was likely the project hadn’t been looked at yet.
“I guess it hasn’t worked through the system yet,” he said.
Beat 5 Supervisor Jackie Johnson said it was possible he could repair the bridge on Pleasant Ridge Road himself. Should that happen, he asked whether the projects could be edited to make sure his beat receives its fair share of the state funds.
Stanford said programming the money was a precautionary measure to tie up the funds so the state could not come in and reclaim them. Should the board decide to put the funds toward a different bridge or road, it would be easy to change the programs later on.
In its May 4 meeting, the Board of Supervisors also:
•Discussed repairs to the air conditioning system at the Newton County Courthouse. The repairs are expected to cost approximately $12,000 and come with a 5-year warranty;
•Requested assistance from Pat Harrison Waterway to repair a washed out box culvert along Turkey Creek Road. If approved by its board, Pat Harrison will match fifty percent of the cost up to $25,000; and
•Accepted a modification to the county’s Waste Tire grant through the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. Due to the coronavirus, MDEQ extended the deadline to use the grant fund to June 30, 2020.
