During Wednesday’s Pearl River County Board of Supervisors meeting, Les Dungan with Dungan Engineering updated the Board about the bids for countywide bridge replacement projects and about the status of bridge repairs.

Dungan recommended the Board award a bid so the county could replace the bridge on Nellie Burks Road. The Board approved a motion to award the work to Pearl River Paving LLC at an expense of $174,218.

Funding of the project will come from state funding through the Local System Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation program, Dungan said.

That funding will also reimburse the county $1,080 used to purchase right of way easements as part of the project.

Soon, contractors will have the option to submit bids electronically, Dungan said. County officials are currently working with Central Bidding so bids can be sent via the Internet in time to conduct improvement work to a bridge on Nellie Burks road and for countywide pavement projects.

“It will be an option for all county projects advertised that are in excess of $50,000,” Dungan said.

Dungan said the county also received one bid for the countywide pavement project, for $100,000 cheaper than the estimated cost of the project.

A bid for $854,782 was received from HPS LLC. The Board made a motion to take all bids under advisement and come to a decision at the next meeting.

In response to the emergency declaration made by the governor to close all bridges with critical findings, another round of bridge inspections is expected to take place. The bridges slated for inspection involve those supported by timber piling, Dungan said.

Dungan also updated the Board about other county projects.

On May 3, Dungan expects to receive bids for the repair of bridges on Sones Chapel Road and Harry Sones Road.  Bids for the replacement of a bridge on Oscar Smith Road will be received by June 12. The bridge on Anchor Lake Road will be replaced using state funding, Dungan said.

Repairs to one of two bridges on Progress Silver Run Road have been completed. Contractors are now replacing the second bridge on the road. The bridge on Otis Jones Road has also been replaced, Dungan said.

In other matters, Code Enforcement Officer Kolby Davis said he is working to clean up property at 136 Huntington Drive in Picayune. He asked to set a public hearing date for the property. The Board set the hearing for May 23 at 11 a.m.

The next Board meeting is scheduled for May 7 at 9 a.m. in the courthouse on Julia Street.