Work on the bridge across Little River on Caney Church Road in southwestern Lamar County probably won't start until January.
The county closed the bridge after County Engineer Don Walker received an email from the state saying the bridge failed to meet updated load ratings.
Walker told Lamar County supervisors in a recent meeting that the holiday season would also cause a delay in getting work started to strengthen the bridge.
"We are going to be going through the holidays, so we probably won't be able to get a contractor on site until January," he said.
He added that the bridge would also have to be upgraded to avoid posting the structure again. Twenty-four pilings will be involved in the upgrade.
"It has been officially closed, and proper signs are in place," he said. "We have had some further discussion with the consultant regarding the options of what we can do. We got further information that indicated while the two rows of piles were what closed the bridge, every exposed 12-inch pile will have to be strengthened. If not, posting will have to go on the bridge even after we do the work."
The bridge was designed and constructed between 1966 and 1968.
"It is an older bridge," he said at an earlier meeting. "It is a good bridge, and on first appearance, you don't see any defects with the bridge. It withstood the force of the Big Bay breach, and it was probably one of the first bridges I looked at after that particular breach to verify the integrity of that particular structure."
Walker said construction on the bridge would include encasing the pilings, building them up, and they may also add lateral bracing to the two rows.
"It is an emergency situation based on that being a major route," he said, adding that the cost of repairs have not yet been determined.