OCEAN SPRINGS — The sudden closure of the Davis Bayou Bridge on Hanshaw Road has left residents detouring, buses rerouting and local officials pointing fingers not just over the bridge’s crumbling support structure but over who knew what — and when. 

While crews prepare for emergency repairs, a deeper issue has emerged: a breakdown in communication between city, county and state leaders. Ocean Springs officials claim they were blindsided by the state’s order to shut down the bridge, while county officials said warning signs — including posted weight limits and internal planning for a replacement — have been there for years.  

“The only report we received on that bridge was the notice to close it,” said Mayor Kenny Holloway. 

The bridge, located just a few hundred feet from Ocean Springs Middle School, serves as a key connector on Hanshaw Road between Old Spanish Trail and Bienville Boulevard. Nearly 10,000 vehicles crossed it daily, including mail trucks, school buses and garbage collectors. 

That all changed on March 5, when barriers went up and the route was officially closed. Traffic patterns shifted overnight, and the silence along the bayou has become a daily reminder of the disruption. 

“It’s been a major connector for as long as I can remember,” said longtime resident Jeff Lotz. “I’ve been driving across that bridge since the early 2000s.” 

Who knew what when? 

While city leaders maintain they’re just learning about the problems with the bridge, Jackson County began preliminary work on a full replacement in 2023.  

“We knew the bridge was getting in bad shape. The county was trying to assist the city. We started the process (to replace the bridge). We hired an engineer, they designed the plans, they designed what right-of-way that was going to be required, and we started preliminary discussions with the utilities about relocating,” said Jackson County Road Manager Joe O’Neal. “We passed it on to the city. The county spent approximately $170,000 to do that.” 

In September 2024, that project — and its responsibilities — were officially transferred to the city of Ocean Springs. 

“One day we got a packet and (it) said this bridge is now the responsibility of the city,” Holloway said. “But we didn’t realize that the bridge needed to be replaced because of the condition. I was anticipating that the bridge was to be replaced to handle additional traffic.” 

Inspections raise new concerns 

Fast forward to December 2024: The bridge underwent a standard review by the Office of State Aid Road Construction, which is responsible for inspections of all publicly owned bridges in Mississippi. Inspectors found parts of the bridge near the water — the substructure — were in “serious condition” but not bad enough to warrant closure. 

According to State Aid Engineer Harry Lee James, that changed during an underwater review this past February. Inspectors found severe and unexpected deterioration caused by marine borers –– organisms that damage wood under water. 

“That’s when they noticed the deterioration of the pilings were to a point where the bridge needed to be closed,” Holloway said. 

Those pilings — the wooden posts driven deep into the bayou to support the bridge’s weight — had critically deteriorated. 

“I don’t think they did an underwater test previously,” Holloway added. “We didn’t get any reports on it prior to the notification to close it.” 

James explained underwater inspections are required every one to five years and typically take about two months to complete. 

In an interview with the Roy Howard Community Journalism Center, Holloway confirmed the city received no communication from the state or county before the official closure notice: 

Reporter Justin Glowacki: “So, there was no communication from the inspections that said that we need to start looking at the pilings?” 

Holloway: “Not to the city. No.” 

Glowacki: “Just when the letter came out?” 

Holloway: “The only letter we’ve received, and the only report we received on that bridge, was the notice to close it.” 

Even though engineering plans were passed along, city officials claim they didn’t receive state inspection reports, including information about the critical condition of the pilings. 

“We don’t know what testing has been done on this bridge,” Holloway said. “We didn’t get any reports on it prior to the notification to close it.” 

According to James, bridge inspection reports go directly to the county. They are not publicly available unless requested through a formal public records request. Cities can request access to the state’s database; however, James said very few do. 

Ocean Springs officials recently requested to have access to those online reports.  

“That’s a development in the last three weeks … that we’re able to access the bridge inspection reports online,” Holloway said in early April. 

James noted many cities do not actively review inspection reports unless a restriction or closure is already in place. He likened the situation to buying a car and blaming the dealership when it runs out of gas — emphasizing that while reports exist, cities have a responsibility to seek them out and act. 

County points to history and warnings 

County officials said the bridge’s condition has long been a concern. The Davis Bayou Bridge was built in 1991 with wooden pilings that typically last 25 years. 

“You got 30, 35 years off of wooden piles — that’s pretty good,” O’Neal said. 

Weight limits had been posted well before the closure, restricting vehicles over 8,000 to 9,000 pounds. 

“Everybody in charge should have known — an (8- or 9-ton) weight limit on a bridge is a red flag,” O’Neal said. 

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, weight-restricted bridges are flagged when they can no longer safely support today’s legal-weight vehicles. That includes heavy agricultural equipment, delivery trucks and school buses. A typical school bus weighs more than 10.5 tons. 

Temporary repairs, long-term questions 

Before repairs can begin, three major utility lines — gas, water and sewer — must be removed from the bridge. That process is underway and expected to take two to four weeks. 

After that, Jackson County’s bridge crew will lift the spans, install new pilings and make the bridge drivable again. The temporary fix is expected to take about six weeks and cost around $200,000. 

“Jackson County will move our existing bridge crew in to do repairs and basically will lift up the spans and the caps, drive new pilings and put the bridge back together,” O’Neal explained. 

But that fix is just a stopgap. The repairs are expected to last five to seven years, buying time for Ocean Springs to fund and plan a full replacement. The cost of a new bridge could exceed $3 million. 

“This should give the city time to get their funds together and replace the bridge,” O’Neal said.