Pike County officials say FEMA funding uncertain for Palm Creek Bridge after inspections find structural damage

Pike County Judge Jones and county road supervisors told residents at the fiscal court meeting that the low-water Palm Creek Bridge has documented structural problems and that any full replacement is unlikely without FEMA funding.

The county judge said Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) engineers and FEMA have inspected the structure and that KYTC issued a closure notice requiring the county to submit a plan of action within 30 days or close the bridge to avoid loss of state and federal funding. Road supervisor Fabian summarized inspection findings, saying the bridge’s box beams show longitudinal and transverse cracking, the tension rods and some steel anchorage into the bedrock show substantial thickness loss from rust, and several piers have substructure damage that cannot be rehabilitated.

The technical findings matter because they affect which costs FEMA will consider eligible. Fabian said a conservative local estimate to rebuild the low-water bridge is about $3,000,000; FEMA historically pays 75% of eligible costs, with the state and county covering the remainder, leaving the county on the hook for roughly a mid-teens percentage if the state does not cover the county share.

Residents and a community spokesperson, Kate Holmes, pressed the court to restore the bridge, saying FEMA had inspected the site and that people in the area rely on the crossing. Holmes said she obtained KYTC inspection records via open records and told the court FEMA had inspected the bridge in late June; Fabian later acknowledged FEMA inspection on July 17 in the county record. The court acknowledged some confusion among residents over who told FEMA or congressional staff about the bridge’s status; Judge Jones said he had not spoken to that office about the bridge.

Judge Jones told the public the county already has a newer, state-built bridge located “right above it” that provides safer access to U.S. 460 and that the low-water bridge had long-running condition issues predating the 2025 flood. He said the county has not received any FEMA money for 2025 flood damage as of the meeting and that the fiscal court is managing thousands of damage sites countywide. “We don't have the money to fix it,” the judge said, noting the county’s limited road revenues and competing needs for dozens of bridges that were damaged in the 2025 floods.

Fabian walked the court through inspection details that KYTC reports list: box-beam longitudinal cracks on multiple spans, transverse cracks on beams, tension-rod failures at an abutment, and substantial loss of steel thickness where foundations anchor into bedrock. He explained that on box-beam bridges the driving surface is the beam itself, so cracked box beams generally require beam replacement rather than a surface rehabilitation. He also said demolition of the old bridge could be done by county crews if necessary.

Court members and staff described the county’s options: (1) pursue FEMA funding and, if awarded, move forward with design and replacement; (2) perform only limited road work to improve access to the newer state bridge (excluding the railroad right-of-way, which the county cannot modify); or (3) defer replacement pending future administrations and funding. The county judge repeatedly told the public that, even if FEMA were to approve funding promptly, the level of damage across the county and the FEMA backlog mean the Palm Creek Bridge would likely not be rebuilt within the current administration’s term.

Judge Jones and Fabian encouraged residents to submit official requests and documentation through county work-order channels so damage estimates and eligibility can be processed. The court said it will keep the bridge on FEMA’s list while pursuing documentation but warned residents that preexisting deterioration documented by inspections will complicate FEMA eligibility and could reduce federal contribution to the project.

Ending: The fiscal court made no formal commitment to rebuild the low-water Palm Creek Bridge at the meeting. Instead, officials recorded the inspection findings for the public record, said the bridge remains on the FEMA list under review, and said reconstruction hinges on federal and possibly state funding decisions. Residents were told the county can pursue road improvements short of replacement and should coordinate with the road department to request work orders or further analyses.