Aging bridges raise concern

By Walter GeigerIn an address to the Barnesville Rotary Club April 14, Rep. Johnnie Caldwell Jr. touched on legislation that passed the state house and senate during the recent legislative session. Among those bills he brought up was the controversial transportation bill. In highlighting that legislation, Rep. Caldwell read from a list of 23 bridges in Lamar County that are rated by the state as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete.That list, starting with the oldest bridges, their construction years and sufficiency ratings follows: Atlanta St. bridge over Big Towaliga Creek north of Hot Shot, 1922, 69.7.Hwy. 18 W bridge over Potato Creek 4 miles west of Barnesville, 1939, 8.5. This bridge was apparently listed in error as it was replaced several years ago.Ritchie Rd. bridge over Echeconee Creek 4.5 miles south of Barnesville, 1940, 42.2.Old Hwy. 41 bridge over railroad bed 3 miles north of Milner, 1950, 50.7.Van Buren Rd. bridge over Little Towaliga River, 3.5 miles south of Hwy. 36 East, 1956, 30.3.Zebulon Rd. bridge over Potato Creek, 2.75 miles southwest of Milner, 1957, 50.5.Ruffin Road bridge over Potato Creek in Piedmont district, 1958, 22.7.Piedmont Rd. bridge over Potato Creek in Piedmont district, 1958, 28.1.McKneely Rd. bridge over Little Buck Creek 4 miles northeast of Milner, 1960, 34.9. Camp Rd. bridge over Potato Creek 5 miles north of Milner, 1960, 28.7.Cannafax Rd. bridge over Little Potato Creek, 3.5 miles Southwest of Barnesville, 1960, 30.6.Chappell Mill Rd. bridge over Buck Creek, 9 miles north of Milner, 1962, 60.6.Veterans Parkway northbound and southbound bridges over railroad bed in Barnesville, 1964, 69.7. Veterans Parkway northbound and southbound bridges over Aldora Street (Old Zebulon Rd.) in Barnesville, 1964, 72.1. U.S 41 northbound and southbound bridges over Potato Creek 2.5 miles northwest of Milner, 1967. Southbound 61.8. Northbound 73.4.U.S. 41 northbound and southbound bridges over railroad bed in Milner, 1967, 77.5.Ramah Church Rd. bridge over Tobesofkee Creek 5 miles east of Barnesville, 1975, 64.5.Harmony Hill Ranch Rd. bridge over Little Towaliga River, 7.5 miles northeast of Barnesville, 1978, 52.8.Etheridge Mill Rd. bridge over Potato Creek two miles west of Milner, 1978, 61.3.After the meeting, county commission chairman Charles Glass reported that the bridges and their conditions were not really germane to the conversation regarding the transportation bill as it will raise no money to refurbish or replace them.