Eva Road Bridge: ‘We hope to have it open by the end of January’

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The Eva Road Bridge, seen here Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, is now complete and will reopen Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020. (Maggie Darnell for The Cullman Tribune)

CULLMAN, Ala. – The City of Cullman anticipates the Eva Road Bridge will be complete by the end of January 2020, pushed back slightly from July’s estimate of October-November 2019.

The stretch of Eva Road between Forrest Avenue Northeast and Scenic Drive Northeast has been closed for the new bridge construction since Nov. 5, 2018. The old bridge was completely demolished in March 2019.

Back in July, City of Cullman Risk Management Director Tom Charney told The Tribune, “Every year, all the bridges have to be inspected, and we give a percentage rate. If a bridge goes below 50%, then the bridge, you have to consider replacing it. Eva Road went under the 50% mark, and at that point we had to, you know, build bridges. It was about 2017 (when it went under).”

He continued, “As soon as it went under the percentage, we started looking and the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) released these grants for bridges. God, in Alabama I think there was over a hundred bridges (in) a federal grant that was administered by the County and ALDOT.”

Charney said the City of Cullman received $1,634,704.10 for the bridge.

On Wednesday, Assistant to Cullman Mayor Woody Jacobs, Leanne West, shared this statement from the City of Cullman: “The City anticipates the Eva Road Bridge to be open around the end of January 2020. However, that is dependent upon suitable weather and other factors, so there’s not a firm date for the bridge to open yet.”

West said, “The main things left to be done are paving, guardrail installation and thermoplastic striping.”

Charney said, “Once the bridge is completed for the citizens of Cullman, it will be a lot wider, a lot safer, and you can’t ask for anything more for your money. The whole thing was to make it safer.”

“The new Eva Road Bridge is almost complete. We hope to have it open by the end of January, but that will be dependent upon suitable weather and other factors,” said Jacobs,  who echoed Charney by saying, “When it does open, I believe the citizens will be very happy with the wider and safer new bridge.”

Back in June 2018, the City of Cullman announced the new bridge will bear the name of longtime Cullman resident and respected businessman Hugh Brindley. When construction is complete, the bridge will be known as the “Hugh P. Brindley Sr. Memorial Bridge.”

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