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Commissioners move to temporarily close 4,144-foot section of Doppson Road pending repairs
Summary
After a public hearing, Meriwether County commissioners voted to temporarily close about 4,144 feet of Doppson Road until the county can bring the bridge and roadway to county standards and provide gated emergency access.
Meriwether County commissioners voted March 24 to temporarily close a roughly 4,144-foot section of Doppson Road until the county can repair the road and its bridge and provide gated, county-controlled emergency access.
The measure followed a continuation of public hearing PC26-4 and testimony from property owner Bob Williams, who described the middle creek-bottom section of Doppson Road as “very poor condition” and said the bridge had been given the lowest rating by Georgia DOT. “The road itself is terrible. It washes out with the next rainstorm,” Williams said, urging the board to close the stretch and work with the county on controlled gate access for emergency responders.
County staff summarized department responses: public works reported the road is difficult to maintain and often washes out; 911 confirmed it needed reliable access plans; the sheriff’s office said it would accept gated access for emergency use; the fire department expressed a preference against closure because of potential access limitations. Legal staff reviewed the statutory abandonment standard and explained that a road must lack public purpose or not be in the public interest to be closed.
Board members questioned whether DOT had formally condemned the bridge; staff pointed to the most recent bridge assessment in the packet but said the assessment did not explicitly condemn the structure or reduce its tonnage rating. Commissioners discussed adding turnarounds and signage and requiring a gate that allows 911 access. The owner said he would provide gate access arrangements.
A commissioner moved to temporarily close the identified segment until the county could bring the bridge and road up to county standards and to provide a county-controlled gate for emergency services. The motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.
The board did not adopt a permanent abandonment at the March 24 meeting; the temporary closure is conditioned on the county’s ability to upgrade access for emergency services and on building turnarounds and signage to reduce safety risks. The board left the public hearing record open for any written correspondences to be added and did not provide a detailed timeline for repair work at the meeting.
