Bridge panel re-elects officers

Published 12:00 am Thursday, January 14, 2010

The Vicksburg Bridge Commission on Wednesday renewed the terms of its three officers, as well as those of six appointees who provide engineering, auditing, legal and clerical services to the panel that oversees the Warren County-owned bridge over the Mississippi River.

Bob Moss was re-elected chairman of the five-member commission; O.A. Williams will be vice chairman; and Herman Smith, bridge superintendent, will be secretary.

HNTB and Baton Rouge-based G.E.C. were reappointed bridge engineers. HNTB is headquartered in Kansas City but serves the bridge panel through its Baton Rouge office.

Email newsletter signup

Sign up for The Vicksburg Post's free newsletters

Check which newsletters you would like to receive
  • Vicksburg News: Sent daily at 5 am
  • Vicksburg Sports: Sent daily at 10 am
  • Vicksburg Living: Sent on 15th of each month

ABMB Inc., of Vicksburg, the engineer of record for the county, was reappointed general engineer for the commission. It is responsible for non-structural jobs related to the bridge, such as land surveying and ground testing.

The commission reappointed Robert Bailess board attorney and Warren County Chancery Clerk Dot McGee as clerk.

The Halford Firm of Vicksburg was reappointed auditor.

Terms of the board’s officers and appointees last one year and are renewable at the beginning of each calendar year.

In other business, Smith reported to the board that Kansas City Southern paid $83,592 in tolls for its use of the railroad tracks on the bridge in November.

The board has billed KCS $296,240.00 for its use of the span in December, when 21,160 of its cars crossed between Vicksburg and Delta.

The commission bills KCS at a rate of $14 per car, but, because of a years-long dispute, the railroad pays at a rate of $4 per car.

Warren County owns the bridge, and county supervisors appoint the commission members to operate it as a break-even business.

*

Contact Ben Bryant at bbryant@vicksburgpost.com