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Valdosta authorizes payment for emergency replacement of Castella Avenue bridge
Summary
City engineer reported a January inspection found the Castella Avenue bridge unsafe for vehicles; staff replaced the structure under emergency authorization, reopened it April 10 and requested payment of $1,526,562 to cover emergency work and associated invoices.
City Engineer Ben Odawa told Valdosta's Mayor and Council that a routine G-DOT bridge inspection in January found the Castella Avenue bridge over One Mile Branch unsuitable for vehicular traffic, prompting an immediate closure and a decision to replace rather than temporarily repair the structure.
Odawa said staff met with G-DOT inspectors, developed replacement alternatives, and commissioned work under emergency authorization so the city would not risk another closure or overflow. "The bridge was reopened to traffic on April 10th, 2026," Odawa said.
The agenda included two invoices related to the project; the meeting record lists a total requested funding amount of $1,526,562 to cover emergency-repair costs. The transcript contains garbled line-item figures for the attached invoices; staff recommended payment from available capital funds with a 90/10 funding distribution. Council moved and approved payment as presented.
Why it matters: the bridge was deemed unsafe during a state inspection and staff prioritized full replacement to provide a long-term fix rather than temporary patchwork that could require repeated closures. Odawa said parts of the project included relocating substandard, bridge-mounted water main piping and other structural work.
Provenance: Odawa's presentation and the payment request are recorded at SEG 567–655.
