Highway 69 bridge open

The new Pattonsburg First Baptist Church at the intersection of Hwy. C and 69 will encompass around 9,000 square feet, according to the church’s minister, Rev. Ron Ratliff. The church will have nine classrooms, plus a partial basement. The building is roughed in and the roof is basically on. Work on the wiring and plumbing has begun. In another two weeks, workers will sheet-rock and start the exterior siding.

Brown Lumber is the contractor. The project is funded by individual donations. Under the roof line to the south will be a canopy, or drive-under. Volunteers will help with finish work, such as painting and staining. There is no scheduled date for the work’s completion. The congregation is presently using the church building located at the old town site.

The Pattonsburg School’s 60 x 120-foot vocational-agriculture building will include the vo-ag classroom, shop, ITV classroom and bus barn. The school is acting as its own general contractor by hiring individuals to do the construction and providing the materials.

Construction is now complete on the replacement bridge over the Grand River on Route 69 south of Pattonsburg. The highway opened to traffic on Friday, Oct. 8, at approximately 4 p.m.

The bridge (J-146R), located 1.6 miles south of Route Z, is a concrete structure with a barrier curve, 616.5 feet long with a 33-foot roadway. The project began in March of 1998 and ran a little behind schedule. Hardy’s Inc., of Brookfield was awarded the contract for the work. The average daily traffic on the bridge was 800 in 1995 and is projected to be 950 by the year 2015. The project was right at cost at $1,337,298.80. [Staff Photo/TLH]