New Push to Repair Roads and Bridges in Macon County
There’s a new push by the Macon County EMA and the Macon County Commission to restore and repair bridges and roads left damaged after flooding in December of 2015. After almost 18 months, officials say it’s been long enough and have started a campaign to get them fixed immediately.
Macon County Emergency Management Director , Frank Lee, says ‘Operation Open All Our Roads and Bridges in Macon County’ is a campaign to fix a problem that should have been solved a long time ago.
He explains “it’s been an extreme inconvenience for the people of Macon County”.
With the help of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, they’ve repaired more than 250 miles of the county’s roads damaged by flooding, there’s still 5 damaged structures in Macon County that still need to be repaired.
“Almost daily we get a call asking when this bridge or when of the other 5 structures will actually be usable again” says Macon County Engineer J.D. Smith as he points out the destroyed County Road 32 bridge.
He says he’s unable to provide answers until he gets word from the State EMA.
Officials say the impassible bridges are an inconvenience for those that once used the roads for daily travel, but an even bigger threat to public safety.
Lee says “If we had a major safety concern right now a disaster, it would impair us a great deal”. Smith adds “We have emergency vehicles, law enforcement and fire, that need to use these roads on a basis when something happens”.
Macon County officials will present their concerns to the State EMA Wednesday morning.
