Escambia County Commissioner Brandon Smith is calling for residents of the Booneville community to come together Thursday for a town hall meeting concerning major construction coming to County Road 1 (Booneville Road).

The meeting, set for 6:30 p.m. at the Booneville Volunteer Fire Department, will be a venue for residents to voice questions and concerns over the project of replacing Long Hollar Bridge.

Smith said he wanted to allow people a chance to hear the details of the construction directly from him, and also be able to answer questions about any inconveniences the project may cause for people living in the area.

“I want to have a meeting with the folks out there to discuss our plans,” Smith said. “I know they’ll have some questions.”

Smith said the decision to replace the bridge is based on keeping the people who use it safe.

“It’s old and worn out,” Smith said. “We’ve got some money to replace this bridge and we’ve had a lot of calls from the residents out there. We’ve got a lot of log trucks and heavy equipment that crosses it all the time, and it’s just not rated for it.”

According to Smith, the county began accepting bids for the project from various construction companies Monday, and will begin work on the bridge soon after a company is selected. Funding for the replacement will come from the state of Alabama, Smith said.

“We applied for some money from the state,” he said. “County Road 1 is a state-funded road, and we’ve got some money from the state to do this project.”

Once work begins, Smith said local residents can expect some rerouting in order for traffic to sidestep the construction.
“This bridge chops the road in half, and the people who live on the other side of the bridge are going to have to go around to get where they’re going.”

While some detours resulting in lengthier drive times are inevitable, Smith said he is hopeful the construction will be a speedy process.

“On the last two bridges that have been done, it’s taken anywhere from a month and a half to two months,” Smith said. “The contractors will be made aware of what kind of wait we’ll have out there, as far as the people that live on the other side of the bridge, and I’m sure they’ll work as quick as possible.”

Smith cautioned that some variables, such as unforeseen complications and bad weather, could extend the process.
As for the construction itself, Smith said the bridge will be a big improvement and up to code.

“It will be all concrete and steel,” he said. “It will be a real nice bridge.”

More improvement are also coming to County Road 1. Smith said a project will begin next summer to pave a six-mile stretch of the road.
Smith is the Escambia County commissioner for District 4.