20 Years Overdue For Inspection: Are The Bridges In Century Safe?

February 12, 2017

NorthEscambia.com has learned that town-maintained bridges in Century have not been inspected in years… at least one since 1995…about 22 years ago.

State law mandates that most bridges be inspected at least every two years.

Bridges are then classified as being safe, or as “functionally obsolete” or “structurally deficient”.

“Functionally obsolete” means that the bridge design is outdated. For example, narrow shoulders, narrow lanes, or older traffic barriers can induce the functionally obsolete classification. Functionally obsolete bridges are scheduled for replacement or rehabilitation as budgets permit.

“Structurally deficient” bridges are recommended for repair, or scheduled for replacement; meanwhile, they are posted as necessary for load, or closed.

Century Mayor Henry Hawkins says the town is working to hire a bridge inspection company or seven town-maintained bridges.

Pictured: A culvert aNorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.

Comments

5 Responses to “20 Years Overdue For Inspection: Are The Bridges In Century Safe?”

  1. Willis on February 12th, 2017 6:48 pm

    That’s Chris in moleener folks.

    And he’s just happy the bridge is out by him.

  2. chris on February 12th, 2017 6:01 pm

    It’s 2017 and the mill has been shut down for how long? With this logic maybe we should go back to washboards and Mayberry RFD. The town dropped the ball. Again.

  3. Retired on February 12th, 2017 2:28 pm

    Most likely the bridges were inspected but Old School. Which by the way worked efficiently and swiftly.
    The town workers looked at and kicked the beams…replaced some if needed– could be finished in a day.
    Yes regulation and government bureaucracy and laws can be a huge entanglement and actually thwart progress at times.
    In Century we are witnessing the decline of a past way of life.
    In the not too distant past, after something like this past tornado blew through, they would have shut down the mill production, assembled the mill workers and one by one fixed up the homes and hauled the debris to a dump down a dirt road and called it done.
    Show some respect.
    Blackcat pride still lives.
    Growing pains are what Century is experiencing
    There is still and charm and grace with in the people here.
    And as far as the bridges..everything will work out..then it will be water under the bridge (s)
    Keep the Faith

  4. chris on February 12th, 2017 9:25 am

    “Town maintained bridges” says it all right there.

  5. SW on February 12th, 2017 5:57 am

    Another Century fail. I wonder if the town received grants or other funding for this in the past?