County Road 210 bridge reopens to traffic with weight limit

A bridge on Road 210 over an abandoned railroad line west of Union has been reopened with a reduced weight limit.

The Neshoba County Board of Supervisors approved the payment of $27,820 to McKee Construction for that work during their Monday meeting. 

The road is the main road between Union and Madden and has been closed for several months causing an 11-mile detour.

“It has been completed and re-opened,” said County Administrator Jeff Mayo. “There were six piers on the pilings that needed to be repaired. “They got that completed. The inspection engineers came back. After they received the report, the state authorized it to reopened with a posted weight limit of three tons.”

Mayo said the work is a temporary fix. “The bridge will eventually have to be replaced,’ he said. “The bridge was built in 1958 so it is nearing the end of its life.” 

Replacing the bridge is expected to cost nearly $2 million. The county is working with local legislators in hopes of getting state funds for the job.

The bridge over the unused Kansas City Southern railway connector from Union to Sebastopol must be replaced and meet railroad standards, even though the railroad isn’t using the line and has no plans to do so, officials have said.

In other matters, supervisors voted to:

• Approve a contract with Motorola Solutions to provide the sheriff’s department with the Digital Evidence Management System at a cost of $54,345. Supervisors also approved the settlement of a worker’s compensation claim in the department;

• Accept the April 2021 Daily Meal Log and detailed billing report from the jail. Supervisors also approved several personal matters with jail employees;

• Approve a permanent drainage easement for the Plantation Point Drive North Subdivision;

• Accepted the annual State Aid Maintenance Inspection report;

• Approve the minutes of a public hearing concerning a CDGB application for Neshoba General. Supervisors approved for the hospital to apply for the grant;

• Accept the resignation of a part-time employee in the Circuit Clerk’s office;

• Continue the local emergencies for the 2021 winter storm and the COVID-19 Pandemic;

• Approve the county employee payroll ending May 3 and totaling $176,345;

• Approve the elected officials' payroll ending May 15 and totaling $42,3526;

• Approve the claims docket and the out of order claims; and,

• Approve the appointment of Brenda Nowell as assistant receiving clerk effective June 1, 2021

Supervisors were informed of the retirement of Human Services County Director Kim Price, effective May 31. They appointed supervisor Joyce Wilkerson with requisition authority.