MONTICELLO — An unexpected complication has delayed completionof the Jefferson Street Bridge in front of City Hall, butauthorities believe the bridge should be completed soon.

“There’s not much left to be done,” said Mayor David Nichols.”Other than the top of the bridge being put on, the bridge isthere. It’s been formed and cured.”

The hold up, Nichols said, is that a sewer line which wasbelieved to be out of the way is not. It will have to be moved forthe bridge to be completed.

“A sewer line through a creek requires special manholes andpipe,” he said. “As soon as we have these materials, the town willrelocate the sewer line.”

Once that has been done, construction crews can finish thebridge “in a short period of time,” he said. The top will be placedon the bridge and crews will begin constructing the wriprap, adecorative and environmentally safe method of beautifying the creekbanks using white rocks.

Jefferson Street is a commonly used shortcut between F.E.Sellers Highway and Highway 84 to the east side of town in additionto being shortest route to City Hall from the southern part of thecounty.

Nichols said he looks forward to seeing a “return to normaldriving patterns” because the bridge construction has disruptedsome residents normal routines and hindered traffic to CityHall.

“I’ll be very happy to see it finished and I’m very thankful toDistrict 1 Supervisor Carey Hedgepeth for taking on this project,”the mayor said.