Gums Crossing Bridge Set To Open
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By: David Howell, Editor, North Ms Heral
The Gums Crossing Bridge on County Road 221 will open for traffic on Friday, October 25. The bridge spans the Skuna River on the backwaters of Grenada Lake, a route that has been closed since historic flooding damaged the original bridge in February, 2019. Citing information from County Engineer Karl Grubb, the Yalobusha County Board of Supervisors reported Friday’s opening date during a meeting Monday morning. An official grand opening will be scheduled next month, with the tentative date set for Nov. 14. The Gums Crossing Bridge is the longest bridge in the county and the project to remove the old bridge and build a new one is the costliest contract ever awarded by the Yalobusha County Board of Supervisors. A $16.24 million bid for the bridge construction was awarded to Malouf Construction in February, 2021. The total cost of the project will exceed $20 million after another $4 million spent to remove two massive 35-feet concrete deck spans from the old bridge that splashed down into Grenada Lake in early 2020. The massive concrete spans from the old bridge were lodged directly where the pilings for the new bridge were erected, and were overed in almost 30 feet of silt on the lake bottom. Removal of the concrete spans required dredging the silt to allow divers to access the concrete to attach cables to them for removal. The extra work also included massive hoists that were assembled on barges and were used to lift the concrete out of the lake. The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration is funding 80 percent of the bridge cost. Other funding sources included $4.14 million from the state. In another bridge project in the county, the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) reported that worked has started to replace the bridge that spans Yocona River on Hwy. 51 in northwest Yalobusha County. This bridge was closed in April, 2022. MDOT reported that a $12.2 million dollar contract was awarded to Century Construction for the work. MDOT said clearing operations are nearly complete and the contractor has started dirt work for the project. Work has started on removal of the existing bridge has begun. MDOT anticipates that the work will be completed by the spring of 2026.