Update: Opening of Hanshaw Road Bridge, with no weight restrictions, is imminent
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Hanshaw Road Bridge construction completed; final state inspection pending.
- Bridge repairs replaced 25 pilings; full concrete rebuild expected by 2030.
- Reopening to ease school traffic near three campuses before August 2025 start.
UPDATE
The Hanshaw Bridge should reopen to traffic around 3 p.m. today, Ocean Springs Alderman Robert Blackman said in a post on social media.
Blackman said the city has received notice from the state allowing the reopening with no weight restrictions. He added that crews are onsite preparing for the reopening.
ORIGINAL STORY
Construction on the Hanshaw Road Bridge, which has been closed since March 5, is officially complete. Ocean Springs city officials say the bridge is expected to reopen later this month following a final inspection by the Mississippi Office of State Aid Road Construction.
Jackson County Road Manager Joe O’Neal said the inspection could occur as soon as this week, and will determine whether a weight limit posting is necessary before the bridge can reopen to traffic.
“Everybody worked together, city, county and state. Our road department and our county bridge crew did an amazing job and were actually able to finish it a little bit faster than we anticipated,” Randy Bosarge, Jackson County District Five supervisor said.
The bridge closed after a critical findings procedure revealed severe water termite, or marine borer, damage on the 34-year old wooden pilings, leaving the structure at risk of collapse. Following the discovery, state officials issued a letter mandating closure within 24 hours.
O’Neal said the nearly-$80,000 budget allowed for the replacement of 25 pilings and two individual spans. Despite this, the bridge will need to be fully rebuilt with concrete pilings in the next three to five years. In March, Ocean Springs Mayor Kenny Holloway estimated a full rebuild as costing between $2 and $3 million.
Reopening ahead of school year
The closure resulted in severe traffic congestion near three schools and the Bienville Place and Heron Bayou subdivisions.
With the start of the new school year approaching, Ocean Springs School District officials said they are eager for the bridge to reopen.
“OSSD is extremely thankful for the quick work by everyone involved in making the repairs necessary to reopen the Hanshaw Bridge. The bridge serves as a major roadway for school traffic and having it reopened before school starts in August will make things much easier for parents, students, and the community,” Trey Brennan, Ocean Springs School District director of communications, said in a statement.
Residents of the nearby Bienville Place subdivision are looking forward to less construction and a return to normal traffic flow.
“We are thrilled to hear that the Hanshaw Road bridge is opening very soon. Our neighborhood will have less traffic, noise and will return to the quiet neighborhood we all love,” Bienville Place subdivision homeowners’ association president Marshall Riff said in a statement.
This story was originally published June 11, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
