In a 72 member country church known for its womens club and annual fish fries, 92 community members of Lewis County came together to fill the pews on Monday night, February 19th. They weren't there to sew quilts, fry up some of the best fish around, or listen to a sermon, although Bobby Page, officiator of the meeting, jokingly said, "Y'all can be free and say what you want here tonight. We've got the baptism warmed up and ready for you after the meeting."

The laughs broke the ice off the room full of people ready to share their concerns about the closing and possible removal of the infamous Texas Bottom Bridge, originally built in 1969. Lewis County Board of Commissioners, in a prior edition of the Lewis County Herald, announced they would be meeting Monday, February 26th to discuss a resolution to completely remove the Texas Bottom Bridge located on Sickler Road across the Buffalo River, as well as abandon the right-of-way on the north side of the river. Concerned citizens decided the matter needed to be discussed prior to that meeting, so Highway Commissioner Kerry Cagle and Bobby Page formed a plan to meet at Oak Grove, and invite those interested in sharing concerns on the matter. The impromptu town hall meeting brought concerns of crossing safety, travel time, historical value, and repair costs.

"The bridge really is in bad shape," said Cagle. He referred to an incident last winter when some young people chose to attempt to cross the obviously impassable bridge. "You'll always have those kinds," stated an attendee. "You can't fix 'em, but you can't punish an entire community of people because of 'em either." The young people, while attempting to cross, got swept to the edge of the river in their vehicle by the rushing water. "It was a true close call, and they are lucky to be here. It's just a matter of time before the State condemns it," Cagle said. The last State Inspection noted that there are several parts of the bridge that have 6-inch-deep chips and exposed rebar. The weight limit has even been reduced to only 5 tons, and the condition has been downgraded to "poor." Out of 130 bridges in this county, Texas Bottom is rated the #1 worst."

Travel time and safety was another concern voiced Monday night. "During the last snow spell, we were stuck at home for four days with no way to town, as the bridge has been closed since December. If an emergency happened we, or an ambulance, would have to drive all the way around the mouth of grinder to get to town, and there are concerns of whether an ambulance could even make it up the hills with snow and ice on them."

The bridge is simply historical. In small towns especially, people cherish places that hold meaningful memories, and Texas Bottom, no doubt, is at the center of many. Jumping off the bridge with friends, fishing with uncles, late night bonfires, listening to the Buffalo run under you while lying on your back looking at the starry sky above. I'm sure there is a first kiss or two attributed to Texas Bottom, and nostalgia is something we hold on to in the South. So, yes, it would be hard getting rid of the bridge for reasons as simple as that, but the biggest issue, still, is the cost of repair.

The State has a State Aid Bridge Fund. Lewis County is able to access a certain amount each year for bridges. It comes from the State, not the Highway Department, because they cannot create revenue. To get that money, we have to repair, rebuild, or remove Texas Bottom Bridge, which was initially funded through the High Priority Bridge Program instituted during the Improve Act in 2016/17 when the gas tax was increased. The High Priority Bridge Program is no longer funded by TDOT. They still have an annual budget, but there is NO NEW MONEY. There are 12 counties/bridges ahead of us, and we are a year and a half away from getting on the list, which means it will be approximately 10 years before it can even be worked on, if our plans were to be approved.

Due to this, Cagle decided to withdrawal from the HPB program to find an updated program that could prioritize the rebuilding of Texas Bottom. In doing that, he hoped to get the $110k back that was used for engineering fees and right-of-way purchases from the State. Then, out of the State Aid Bridge Fund, we would pay for the demolition and then be reimbursed for all. Meanwhile, Cagle would continue to search out others ways to get the bridge rebuilt. Attendees requested the Commission consider rewording the resolution to include the simultaneous closing and rebuilding.

By the close of the meeting, Cagle announced he would be reopening the bridge the following morning, and the resolution would be taken off the Board of Commissioners agenda until a later date after discussing a way to possibly reword the coming agenda.