Lincoln County supervisors Monday awarded a contract for abridge replacement project that should allow a closed county roadto reopen in about two months.

The Smith Lake Road bridge just below the Callender Roadintersection, has been closed since March following a stateinspection.

The approximately $245,000 contract, awarded to Oddee Smith andSons, calls for the bridge to be replaced with an arched metalculvert. The bid was 12.9 percent higher than the engineer’sestimate, said Marty Hilton, State Aid road engineer.

“The need was for speed and to get it in the ground and to getthat road opened,” Hilton told supervisors while discussing the bidrecommendation.

Hilton said the contractor is ready to go and he was looking forquick action on the project.

“I’m hoping to have it finished before Thanksgiving,” Hiltonsaid.

District 2 Supervisor Bobby J. Watts was glad to see progress onthe closed road. He said the arched culvert will require lessmaintenance.

“I’m looking forward to getting a new bridge opened shortly,”Watts said.

The bid awarded to Smith was the lowest of three received.Including engineering fees, the total amount of the project will be$282,000.

Lincoln County’s Local System Bridge Program funds are depletedand the county will have to borrow money to do the Smith Lakeproject. County Engineer Carl Ray Furr said the money will comefrom Jefferson County, which has not used all of its LSBPfunds.

“They’ll borrow the money from Jefferson County and are going topay it back after the first of the year,” Furr said.