A temporary fix to a bridge on Ballground Road could soon be in the works after the Warren County Board of Supervisors met Friday with Brian Robbins, the county engineer with Stantec.

The timber bridge was closed earlier this month after it was determined deteriorating pilings had made the bridge unsafe for traffic.

Supervisors had considered the option of devoting $100,000 to building a diversion bridge while the permanent structure, which has been scheduled for replacement for the last three years, is constructed. A diversion bridge would take several weeks to build, according to Robbins. The supervisors would like to get the bridge reopened  quickly considering school will soon be in session and the inconvenience of the bridge being closed could affect school buses.

Supervisors also want work on the temporary fix to begin in early August.

A permanent bridge, which has been designed and financed, would take 6-8 months to construct, and work would not be able to begin until sometime in November, according to Robbins.

Because of the condition of the timbers, the bridge’s weight limit had been reduced, according to Robbins.

“One of the pilings is in very bad shape,” Robbins said. “It’s more than one piling, but one of them is the critical item that made us concerned enough to close it.”

Robbins said Friday completion of a temporary fix on the bridge would take just a few days as the deteriorated pilings are replaced with concrete and would cost around $35,000 to $40,000, which is already budgeted for the project. He believes the project could be completed in about a week to 10 days.

“It should only take a couple of days, but you have to wait at least 36 hours for the concrete to set,” Robbins said.

The bridge, which is the relief bridge and not the bridge that crosses Ballground Creek, is about 2 miles east of Mississippi 3.

The supervisors are expected to address the matter at their regular meeting Aug. 6 in their boardroom on the third floor of the Warren County Courthouse at 9 a.m.