County judge warns motorists to avoid Bennett’s Bayou Bridge, will be long time before it’s replaced

Although it’s been officially closed for months, Bennett’s Bayou Bridge on Baxter County Road 46 is still a cause for concern because signs at each of the bridge keep getting moved to allow traffic to cross the bridge. A recent Facebook post by the Bakersfield Volunteer Fire Department warned of the dangers, saying some of the signs were also being thrown into the creek, being shot or spray painted with graffiti.

The bridge was closed in early April following heavy rain which caused the bridge to become structurally unsafe.

Baxter County Judge Kevin Litty says they have brought in two companies to look at the bridge and both agreed there is no fixing it. The bridge, which was built in the early 2000s, will have to be replaced.

Litty says to demolish the current bridge and build a new one is going to be pricey.

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The judge says he understands it’s an inconvenience for residents in that area.

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Litty says that is because they used to have a road and bridge department, but now it is just a road department.

The judge says there is no way to put a time frame on how long it will be before they can begin work on the Bennett’s Bayou Bridge since they will have to hopefully get funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He says they are still waiting on $500,000 from FEMA from the Memorial Day storms that hit the county in 2024 which was over 17 months ago.

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