[05/04/04] A vote to allow industrial use of the Old U.S. 80 Bridge may be moot, but it’s still encouraging, said a supporter of reopening the Mississippi River crossing.

On Monday, Warren County supervisors were told a method had been found to allow wide loads from Cappaert Manufactured Housing to bypass a toll booth and use the old roadbed to deliver mobile homes to Louisiana.

The board voted unanimously to grant permission to Cappaert, contingent on insurance coverage but the Interstate 20 span may reopen to wide loads sooner than expected.

“This is a very necessary part of the growth of Warren County,” said Dorothy Stewart, who has been lobbying for action to put the concrete roadbed in service since shortly after it was closed eight years ago.

She believes the supervisors’ action could lead to more extensive use of the bridge.

Warren County owns the 74-year-old bridge, having bought it from private developers after World War II. Rail crossings have not been stopped, but the roadbed was closed due to deterioration of concrete. In a referendum five years ago, citizens indicated they wanted the Bridge Commission, appointed by supervisors, to move ahead with roadway repairs.

Stewart, who attends bridge commission meetings regularly, has contended allowing light traffic would be beneficial to local commuters and those who don’t feel comfortable with the high-speed traffic on the Interstate 20 bridge.

Two weeks ago, Cappaert, a mobile home manufacturer on U.S. 61 South, asked for permission to move the large modular homes across the old bridge because work being done on the I-20 bridge restricted the width of loads. Some of the homes are 16 feet wide.

Bridge Superintendent Herman Smith said that even though the bridge is wide enough to handle the modular homes, a tight turn and the toll house block access. At Monday’s meeting, he said he had found a way around the toll house by removing a pipe fence between the road and the administration building.

“Production at Cappaert Manufactured Housing has gotten so backed up they are going to have to shut down because they have no place to put the manufactured housing,” said Bobby Bailess, attorney for the bridge commission, in updating supervisors.

About 500 people are employed at the plant and layoffs have been imminent.

Bailess said Cappaert would pay for insurance and alterations in exchange for access, but Don Tolar, district administrator in the LDOTD’s Monroe office, said work on I-20 bridge should be complete this week instead of later this month, and the department is allowing 16-foot-wide loads to use the bridge.

In a 4-1 vote last month, supervisors formally relieved bridge commissioners of their directive to reopen the bridge to two-way traffic in order to consider other options. The commission is expected to adopt a course of action for the span’s future in about two weeks.

In other matters, the board:

Approved a payment of $10,387.84 for work on the Clear Creek Golf Course and a payment of $1,340.50 to ABMB Engineering for work on an Anderson-Tully access road.

Approved a request for payment to Mayrant and Associates for $78,988.40 for work on the Old Court House Museum Eva W. Davis Memorial renovations.

Accepted the recommendation from Purchasing Agent Tonga Vinson to accept the bid of Puckett Machinery for the purchase of a motor grader for $153,505 with a buy back provision after five years that would mean the net cost to the county would be $54,505.

Approved installation of a temporary bridge on Fisher Ferry Road at a cost of $146,161.45. It will be used while the permanent bridge is repaired.

Approved the addition of an additional span on the Possum Hollow Road bridge replacement at a net cost of $37,000.

OK’d the appointment of Kevin Cook to the Airport Authority.

Approved the increase to $500 the amount the county will pay for a pauper burial. The previous amount was $250. Last year, Warren County was asked to pay for two pauper burials.