Road 210 bridge load limit at 3-ton max pushing SUV limit

Road 210 bridge load limit at 3-ton max pushing SUV limit

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Neshoba County Sheriff Eric Clark is reminding people who are traveling in the southwest part of Neshoba County that the Road 210 bridge may be reopened but it has a 3-ton weight limit.

The bridge, which overpasses the non-used Kansas City Southern Railway connector running from Union to Sebastopol, was closed earlier this year, causing an 11-mile detour. 

The road, also known as Ideal Store Road and the Union-Madden Road, is a main thoroughfare from Union to west Neshoba County to Walnut Grove in Leake County.

Neshoba County moved quickly to make temporary repairs. Engineers checked the bridge and it is considered sound, according to County Administrator Jeff Mayo. It will have to be replaced at an expected cost of nearly $2 million. Meanwhile, engineers recommended that the 3-ton limit be placed on the bridge.

The bridge was re-opened in May.

Sheriff Clark said he received reports from people living in the area that 18 wheelers and heavy vehicles weighing more than 3 tons were using the bridge.

“I did a little research on it to determine statutory authority and talked to the engineer about the weight limit,” Clark said. “A family-sized SUV full of fuel and passengers would be at capacity. A Ford Expedition weighs 5 ½ tons.”

Clark said he talked with the chief law enforcement officer of the Mississippi Department of Transportation and received some guidelines.

The local MDOT officer met Clark and his deputies with a scale at the bridge and checked the weight on some of the vehicles coming across.

“We were trying to educate the public on what a 3-ton weight limit was,” Clark said. “No citations were issued. We wanted people to understand how low that weight limit was.”

Clark said that he questioned whether two cars could pass on the bridge at the same time and not surpass the weight limit.

“This is pretty much setting everyone up for failure,” Clark said. “A lot of people are going to exceed the weight limit.”

Clark said it is his job to enforce the law and he doesn’t pick and chose what laws to enforce.

“We are not trying to harass anyone,” Clark said. “We are trying to bring awareness about the weight limit.”






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