Replacement is on the horizon for the worst bridge in Warren County.
The county Financial Management Committee met Tuesday and accepted a bid of $724,919 from Rogers Group to replace the bridge over Small Branch.
“My engineer went over the bids,” said Road Superintendent Levie Glenn. “I’m going to go with his recommendation. The bid was OK. This company has done satisfactory work before. I make a motion that we give it to Rogers Group, the low bidder.”
Glenn said the bid estimate was expected to exceed $800,000.
“The bid came in a little less than my engineer thought it would and we got three bidders,” said Glenn. “Some places have only been getting one bid.”
Warren County began working with property owners in that area more than three years ago. Because communication was an issue with at least one property owner and the condition of the bridge is deteriorating, Warren County government approved a measure in April 2016 to take the property by eminent domain if negotiations fail.
The decision was made after Warren County Highway Department engineer Kyle Hazel informed the county it needed to take action.
 “The bridge on Old Shelbyville Road, no doubt, is one of the most critical structures needing to be replaced in the Warren County bridge inventory,” said Hazel. “TDOT has a bridge grant program. It provides funding to replace structures with a minimal amount of matching by counties.”
However, the grant does require acquisition of land by the county and the state will not consider another grant for Warren County until this one is replaced because it is currently at the top of the state’s bridge replacement list.