State delays Hammitt Street Bridge project until 2009

By Staff
Leada Gore, Hartselle Enquirer
Just days after signing what it thought was a routine renewal on the Hammitt Street Bridge project, city leaders have learned the state has pushed back the work once again.
The new projected date to begin construction is 2009.
Last week, the city signed an agreement with the state to continue the project. The routine agreement is required every four years following an election. At the time, city leaders were told construction work would begin in the spring.
Tankersley said he and others will go to Montgomery in January to lobby to have the project moved up on the schedule. That doesn’t mean the city could be back on track for spring.
The city first signed an agreement with the state to replace the old wooden bridge in 2002. At the time, city officials were led to believe that construction would begin in 2004 and be completed inj 2005.
Right-of-way acquisition and engineering on the project are continuing as scheduled.
Tankersley said he plans to point out the safety concerns about the bridge to Alabama Department of Transportation officials.
“I don’t understand how our project got moved. Obviously, we would have liked to have had some warning so we could have had some input.”
Hammitt Street bridge has a 3-ton weight limit and can’t support support school buses or emergency vehicles, essentially cutting off portions of the city when a train is passing through town.