It’s one of those things you don’t realize you miss until it’s gone. The Williamsville Bridge has been closed since October when a county engineer deemed it unsafe during a routine inspection. Mayor James Young closed it immediately.
“That bridge carries a lot of traffic,” says Mayor Young.
The 2012 Neshoba County Bridge Inventory estimated that the bridge had a daily traffic rate of 1,200 vehicles.
One business says the bridge closure has taken a toll on their business.
“I’ve heard people say especially older people say, ‘I don’t come as much as I used to because it takes longer to get there,'” says Sid Williams, owner of William’s Brothers.
If you’re trying to get to the other side of the bridge you’re simply stopped in your tracks. Drivers are having to find alternate routes.
“That traffic is pushed back to the bypass and the evening times when the trucks are moving and the traffic. if you just go out there and watch awhile, who would have thought we’d have traffic jams in Philadelphia. But, that’s just how much traffic flows through,” says Mayor Young.
Construction on the 80-year-old Williamsville Bridge is expected to begin this week. Tanner Construction of Laurel was awarded the $2.1 Million dollar project in July.
“Thankfully we gave them the start date of September 8, 2015. They should be moving in with the signage and all those things they do pre-construction,” says Mayor Young.
The bridge, box culvert, and connecting pavement from South Lewis Ave. to Highway 16 is expected to be completed in March.
