The Columbus City Council and the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors this week are expected to vote to commit matching funds for a $2 million Mississippi Department of Transportation grant to renovate the historic Highway 82 bridge across the Tombigbee River.
The supervisors and councilmen earlier voted to ask the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau to pay a required $400,000 match on the project to restore the bridge into a pedestrian walkway.
The CVB agreed to pay a third of the costs, with the city and county to share the remaining costs.
Board President and District 1 Supervisor Harry Sanders said he will make a motion, at the supervisors” Monday meeting, for the county to pay a third of the match, up to $133,000.
The City Council Tuesday is expected to vote to do the same.
“It”s not only going to enhance the Riverwalk, it”ll be an added attraction to the Riverwalk along with the soccer complex,” Columbus Mayor Robert Smith said of restoring the bridge. “And it will, hopefully, help attract some retail to the island and help improve the island.”
“It”s a historical bridge, one of the few turnstile bridges in the country,” said Sanders. “Second, it could very easily be a tourist attraction. It connects the island with the mainland and the county owns seven acres at the west end of the bridge that could be made into a park. You could take that park and connect it to the Riverwalk and the Burns Bottom soccer complex and the Tennessee Williams Welcome Center. It could be a real showplace, one of the few such places in the south and country. It could be very unique.
“I know $2 million from MDOT is public money and it”s got to come from somewhere,” he continued. “But if they”ve offered it to us and we could get it with just a 20 percent match, we might as well take it. There”s no where else we”re going to get $2 million for $400,000. It”s a bargain. And it”s something that will connect the city and county and CVB to work together on a project.”
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