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Valdosta staff recommends full replacement of Sistella Avenue bridge; council advised on funding and timeline
Summary
City staff reported full-depth cracking and erosion under the Sistella Avenue bridge and recommended replacing it to an H25 load rating with new supporting piles; construction was estimated at about two months and staff recommended SPLOST and LMAG funds to pay for emergency repairs.
City staff told the Valdosta mayor and council on Jan. 22 that a structural inspection of the Sistella Avenue bridge found extensive deck cracking and erosion under the end caps and that the original design meets an older GDOT H15 standard unsuited to current traffic and heavier apparatus.
The staff presentation recommended replacing the bridge with new piles and an H25-rated deck. "Our recommended solution is to replace the bridge with the bridge with an h 25 load rating, with new, supporting piles underneath the bridge," the presenter said. Staff provided photo documentation in the agenda packet showing full-depth cracking that, according to the engineer, made reuse of the existing decking risky.
Staff estimated that a contracting firm could complete construction in about two months and said the city intended to authorize work "within a week or two" once council provided authorization. The presenter identified SPLOST and LMAG as the recommended funding sources for the emergency repair.
Council members asked about the schedule relative to local events; council and staff discussed the goal of completing the work before VSU graduation in early May. Staff said the contractor that handled Goentah Road previously had met or beaten projected timelines, and council encouraged prompt authorization followed by a return for final payment approval.
The presentation was informational and staff said they were available to answer questions; council did not adopt additional conditions during the briefing but supported moving forward with the recommended course of action.
