Bridge replacement projects on Pine Springs Road and Grand Avenue won’t be paid for with local dollars after the Mississippi Transportation Commission announced those and 38 other projects throughout the state will be funded through the Emergency Road and Bridge Repair Fund.

The ERBR fund was initially created by the state Legislature in 2018 to help counties and municipalities find funding for local road and bridge projects. Since its inception, the Legislature has continued to fund the ERBR program and tasked the Transportation Commission with selecting the projects that will be awarded funds.

In a news release announcing the awards, Central District Transportation Commissioner Willie Simmons said solid infrastructure is a key component of Mississippi’s communities.

“As Commissioner, it is an honor to announce critical funding secured for emergency road and bridge repairs in our state. The bridges funded for repair or replacement are part of the lifelines that connect our communities, driving progress and ensuring safety for all,” Simmons said. “This investment reinforces the backbone of Mississippi’s infrastructure, bolstering resilience and ensuring our ability to quickly respond to unforeseen challenges.”

Pine Springs Road

Lauderdale County District 1 Supervisor Jonathan Wells, who also serves as president of the Board of Supervisors, said the county was grateful to have its project on Pine Springs Road selected for funding and looks forward to getting started.

“We’re excited to be awarded that, and we just appreciate the folks at the state because that allows us to spend our local dollars on other projects,” he said.

The Pine Springs project is already underway as supervisors had planned to fix the bridge with other funds. Wells said some of the preliminary work has already been done.

The $1.6 million project will actually address two bridges on Pine Springs Road, Wells said, which are both in need of repair. One bridge will be replaced by a double-barrel box culvert while the other bridge will be eliminated entirely.

County Road Manager Rush Mayatt and Richmond Alexander of Engineering Plus, which is contracted to provide engineering services to the county, have previously told supervisors water from the eliminated bridge can be redirected with some simple ditching.

Wells said the county is currently working on obtaining the necessary property easements to do the project, and that process is expected to take some time. A rough estimate, he said, is about one year until the project is completed.

“We appreciate the folks patience,” he said.

In addition to Pine Springs Road, Lauderdale County was awarded $1.1 million from the ERBR program for a bridge replacement project on Dale Drive in August 2022. That project has been bid out and is expected to begin in September.

Grand Avenue

The City of Meridian is also looking to replace a bridge with ERBR funding after its project on Grand Avenue was among the projects awarded funding by the Transportation Commission.

Public Works Director David Hodge told the City Council on Tuesday that the city had been notified of the award but had not yet received any of the paperwork. Once the documentation is in order, he said, he will bring the grant before the council to be formally accepted.

The $2.6 million award is expected to cover 100% of the project cost.

The city also received previous ERBR funding in 2022, with a project to replace a bridge on 34th Street spanning Gallagher Creek. The city received $669,793 to replace the bridge, which has been closed since 2017.

In June, the City Council awarded the bridge project to Joe McGee Construction in the amount of $739,614. Assistant Public Works Director Mike Van Zandt said on Tuesday a pre-construction meeting had been held and work on the bridge was expected to begin in October.