Three bridges in Lauderdale County, including one in Meridian, will receive grant funding from the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

Commissioners voted to fund fixes for bridges on Vimville-Causeyville Road, Woods Road and Old Highway 80, addressing long overdue fixes across the state, it was announced Tuesday.

Lauderdale County and Meridian combined will receive nearly $4.8 million of the $250 million, divided across 163 projects chosen by the Mississippi Transportation Commission, according to MDOT.

Counties, cities and MDOT requested nearly $1 billion for 690 projects, prioritizing projects that would meet safety concerns and restore commerce to communities, according to MDOT.

Kyle Rutledge, the supervisor for District 5, called the announcement good news for the Vimville-Causeyville bridge, which won $724,700.

“It’s been a long process,” Rutledge said. “We could have used (Local System Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Program funding) if we didn’t have any other LSBP projects but we did have other projects.”

When the county realized the funding opportunities in November, supervisors submitted applications for 13 bridges, Rutledge said. 

“There are still a lot of bridges in need in Lauderdale County and across the state,” Rutledge said.

Woods Road, in District 3, received $513,000 while the Old Highway 80 bridge in Meridian received $3.5 million, according to MDOT. 

Rutledge’s motion to opening bidding for the bridges passed unanimously.

In surrounding counties: Clarke County received $2.4 million for County Road 630, Newton County received $431,000 for Newton-Calhoun Road (bridge #7) and Kemper County received $1.8 million for Sunflower Road and Neely Town Road.

In other business:

The supervisors selected Tommy Horne to fill the vacancy left by Charlie Smith as county attorney. Smith now serves in the Chancery Court as a judge. 

The county pledged $50,000 in county resources to the Community Foundation of East Mississippi in support of Jeannie’s Playground at Northeast Park.

Supervisors also approved a lease agreement with Dement Printing Company, on Constitution Avenue, to provide office space for the Public Defender’s Office.