Chattooga County Commissioner Jason Winters and Public Works Director Lamar Canada are expected to meet with officials from the Georgia Department of Transportation on Monday to discuss the closure of the Lyerly Dam Bridge.

The Bridge was closed in December by the Department of Transportation.  County officials are bewildered by the bridge closing.  Earlier this year the DOT had given the county a list of bridge problems in the county.  While the Lyerly Dam Bridge was on that list, it was not slated for closure. 

One of the bridges that was slated for closure, unless problems were fixed was a bridge in the Oak Hill area.  The necessary repairs were made and that bridge remains open.  Had the DOT told the county about the pending closure of the Lyerly Dam Bridge, the county may have averted the bridge being closed.

The closing of the bridge in Lyerly has caused problems for area residents.  Some residents with Post Office boxes in Lyerly are now having to make a 10 mile trip to get their mail.  Also, the county has had to deal with the garbage dumpsters that were located on the other side of the bridge from Lyerly.  A temporary dumpster was set up behind the Pure Stop in Lyerly to help with the problem.