Residents who travel Oak Hill Alpine Road near Lyerly could face several more years of restrictions on the Mosteller Creek Bridge as Chattooga County works toward securing funding for a replacement.

Chattooga County Commissioner Andy Allen says the Georgia Department of Transportation currently has the bridge scheduled for replacement sometime between 2030 and 2032. However, the county is hoping to move that timeline forward by obtaining funding through a bridge replacement grant program.

Allen says the county is working to have the project moved up in the state’s funding schedule, possibly allowing construction to begin as early as next year or the following year. Without additional funding, the bridge could remain partially restricted for several more years.

The bridge was closed earlier this year after GDOT identified structural problems. The closure created difficulties for residents, farmers and school transportation in the area because the bridge provides an important connection between Lyerly and Menlo.

GDOT subsequently allowed the bridge to reopen under strict restrictions. Traffic is limited to one lane, with stop signs installed at both ends, and vehicles weighing more than 10 tons are prohibited from crossing.

A September 28 letter from GDOT State Bridge Engineer Donn P. Digamon indicated that the bridge’s safe load capacity remains below Georgia’s legal load limits. The state requires warning signs and weight restrictions to remain in place.

The bridge has also been the scene of a recent incident involving damage to a concrete barricade. According to Allen, someone struck a barricade weighing approximately 7,000 pounds, knocking it into Mosteller Creek. County workers used an excavator to retrieve the barricade and reposition it along the roadway.

Allen said the county does not know who struck the barricade, but the incident was reported to law enforcement for monitoring.

The incident highlights concerns about the restrictions that will remain in place until the bridge can be replaced.

For now, motorists traveling Oak Hill Alpine Road should continue observing the posted weight limit, stop signs and single-lane traffic restrictions while the county pursues funding to accelerate the replacement project.