Residents in the Oil City area said they are frustrated over the closure of a county bridge in rural Yazoo County over the past several years. But Supervisor Lee Moore said the bridge’s reopening relies heavily on acquiring state funds and the state’s approval of its condition.
The bridge, located on Cessna Road, was closed by the state several years ago. Several residents in the area said the bridge closure has been an obstacle with traveling, particularly since many of them are elderly.
“Especially in emergency situations, when medical assistance is needed,” one resident said. “Adding 15 minutes to half an hour additional travel time to snake around the bridge closure is crucial in emergency situations.”
Moore said the bridge was closed by the state before he took office as county officer for District 1.
“The bridge crew made some repairs that we thought would be received by the state,” Moore said. “The bridge opened back up, but then the state came back and closed it again.”
Moore added that the state’s bridge inspections have become very particular over the last several years. Bridges that have worked for four decades have been closed by the state based on their new requirements, he said.
“We have applied for funds through the Emergency Road and Bridge Relief funds a couple of times,” Moore said. “But we have always been looked over.”
Arthur Spiars, 78, said he has lived in the area his entire life. A former oil field worker, he said the bridge closure has been an extreme inconvenience for residents in the area.
“The bridge being closed as us traveling extra miles to get where we are going,” he said. “It has been very inconvenient for us out here. And minor repairs won’t work because it keeps washing out underneath.”
Some residents in the area said they organized a meeting about the situation at a local church about two years ago, which they said Moore attended. But since then, they said they have not been pleased with the county’s response.
“Our calls go unanswered,” Spiars said. “It’s like nobody wants to talk to us now.”
“We are always told it’s about money,” another resident said. “We understand that, but it just seems like nothing is being done for us out here.”
During his administration, Moore said crews have either repaired or replaced about 11 bridges within his district. And he admits he understands the Oil City residents’ frustration.
“When you don’t have a lot of traffic on some of these rural roads, it can be hard to secure the funding to justify these projects,” Moore said. “But even if it is just a few residents in the area, I know it means a lot to them. For the Oil City bridge, we have done everything can do. We have asked for funding and tried to make the necessary repairs. But it all comes down to waiting on the state for funds and what they expect with the project.”
Moore said he would anticipate that the future of the Cessna Road bridge would be a completely new concrete bridge.
“A whole new bridge would more than likely be what the state requires,” Moore said.
