Supervisors meet twice: keep bridge projects moving

The Union County Board of Supervisors met twice this week, their regular meeting on Monday, Mar. 28 and again the following day.

Work on the new bridge on Martintown Road made the second meeting Tuesday necessary.

Engineers told the supervisors Monday morning that the contractor on the bridge project had struck rock just a few feet below the bottom of the Little Tallahatchie River. They were told the contractor would need to drill through the layer of rock near the surface before the steel I-beams that will form the bridge support can be installed.

The special meeting at 11 a.m. Tuesday was to approve a “change-order” necessary to authorize the additional expense. The supervisors unanimously approved an additional $10,680 for the work, which will include building a temporary ramp for the drilling machine to get in place to drill through the shallow rock.

First item on the Monday morning agenda was an appearance by Ricky Ford, who was appointed president of Northeast Mississippi Community College (NEMCC) during 2015. Ford’s appearance  was essentially a courtesy call to formally introduce himself to the board. Ricky Ford is well known in the area and is the brother of New Albany Schools Superintendent Jackie Ford.

The main campus of NEMCC is located in Booneville. The community college also has a campus in New Albany. Ford said construction of additional facilities at the New Albany campus is under consideration.

At its Monday meeting the board received bids for the construction of a new box culvert bridge on County Road 158. Bids were submitted by five contractors, all of whom had representatives at the meeting. The lowest bid was by Colum Construction Company of Ripley, which bid $172,828 for the job. The bid was examined, found to be to be in good form, including an adequate construction bond, and the job was unanimously awarded to Colum. Next lowest bid was $191,019.50 and the highest bid was $246,347.45.

Other business at the Monday meeting included approval of pay to bailiffs and to the Union County Circuit Clerk’s office for the recent circuit court term. The board also approved the payment of 12 fees to the county medical examiner.

The Union County Board of Supervisors will meet again at 10 a .m., Monday morning, April 4th.