Engineering Update: Bridge Inspections Scheduled, HVAC Project Coming Soon – Daily Leader

BROOKHAVEN — Lincoln County Engineer Ryan Holmes gave the Board of Supervisors a briefing Monday morning during its regularly scheduled meeting. Holmes provided an update on the bridge inspection, the HVAC project at the Lincoln County Courthouse and answered a question about drilling permits.

The Auburn Road bridge project in District 4 is nearly complete. Holmes said the final inspection was the final hurdle before the Mississippi Department of Transportation could remove the bridge closure signs. Supervisors voted to approve payment of one of the final bills for the project.

The final inspection of the bridge will take place next Thursday.

District 3 Supervisor John David Hart asked Holmes about charging companies for drilling permits. Copiah County charges $250 for a drilling permit. Holmes said they could definitely look into the matter. Hart said the permit fees compensate for the time and effort spent getting them approved.

“Permits are often issued using Google Earth, but you need to review it with them,” Holmes said. “In some cases the fee does not cover the costs.”

District 2 Supervisor Keith Lewis echoed Holmes’ suggestion that leaders browse the site based on which company they find boring.

“We don’t know what we’re looking at until we get out of there,” Lewis said.

Holmes said all the HVAC equipment needed to renovate the Lincoln County Courthouse has already been received. The demolition will be the first step in a project to replace the units, and they hope to begin the first week of December.

“It could take six weeks to get everything on the lower level up and running, and then they move on to the upper level,” Holmes said. “They’ll probably have to barricade a lot of the dumpster space. This is progress. We will keep you updated on the plans.”