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Thursday, August 27, 2009

City Releases $56k In Bridge Repair Grant Funds

   City leaders have released some $56,000 in grant funding that had been earmarked for the repair of a Lawrenceburg bridge, so that the funds may be used for another project.

   City Administrator William McLain explained the matter during a meeting of the Lawrenceburg Board of Mayor and Council Thursday morning.

   McLain explained that the Tennessee Department of Transportation Bridge Grant dollars had been awarded around one year ago to the City of Lawrenceburg. At that time, members of the council had opted to hold on to the funds in the hopes of receiving a matching amount this year.

During the 2008 meeting McLain pointed out that the small box bridge situated on Old Florence Road in the Raven’s Bluff area had topped the list of Lawrence County bridge’s targeted for replacement. McLain told council members that “there is undermining in the pillars” beneath the fifteen-ton bridge. In the wake of inspections the bridge had been moved to the top of the list as the bridge most in need of replacement.

   McLain explained that replacement of the bridge was estimated to cost between $125,000 and $150,000. Should the city receive the grant funds, he said, the sum could be put aside for the project. If inspections the next year caused the bridge to remain at the top of the list, he indicated that the city would then be eligible to apply for the grant funds once again.

   McLain told council members Thursday that results of the new inspection pushed the bridge down to number 3 on the list, causing it to be ineligible for grant funding this year. Since the funds must be used within a two-year period, McLain indicated that the funds from 2008 will now be released so that they might be used on a different local project.

   McLain told council members that in order to utilize this grant funding fully, the bridge would need to rate number 1 on the replacement list for two consecutive years.

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