July 12, 2022
By: Dwayne Page
Although it remains partially open to traffic, a small bridge over Dry Creek Road just off West Broad Street has a gaping hole through it and is in need of replacement.
During Monday night’s monthly meeting, the Smithville Mayor and Aldermen voted to have an engineer develop plans and specifications for eventual bid letting for a new bridge, but it could be months before the project is awarded to a contractor and started.
“A few weeks ago, we discovered that this bridge has some issues and we have shut a portion of it down. We have talked to Kyle Hazel, an engineer, and I asked him if this is approved tonight to let him begin the engineering phase and all the surveys when is the quickest we could get this out for bids. He said it would probably not be let out for bids until the first of next year,” said Mayor Josh Miller.
“At this time the bridge is still open but big trucks don’t need to drive across it because its in bad shape. I have ordered signs to put on each corner of the bridge and should have them put up this week,” said City Public Works Director Kevin Robinson.
“We will try to keep the bridge open as long as possible but there will be a time when bids are let out and the council accepts the bid and then it will have to be shut down,” added Mayor Miller.
Because it is apparently not eligible for state aid, the city may have to go it alone on funding the bridge replacement, a project which could run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“Five of our bridges are on state aid so they (state) come around and inspect them every two years but this bridge is two feet shy of being on state aid so it doesn’t get inspected (by the state),” said Robinson.
Janice Plemmons-Jackson, the city’s financial advisor, said the city has ample reserves to cover the bridge replacement cost.
We have been accumulating funds for years and years which is what you do (to prepare) when you have a major problem come up,” said Jackson. “There are different options for financing, and nobody likes to talk about spending money, but we do have cash on hand and if we chose to do that, we could pay the costs as we go from what we have accumulated. There is always a bond issue or debt which I would not recommend but that spreads the cost out and then we have grant funds we are receiving. I just think its going to be a matter of deciding how we pay for it, but I don’t think we have a choice. We have to do this. I am just glad we are in a position that we can meet the financial needs and do what we have to do. We have been conservative and fiscally responsible for years,” Jackson said.