In what has been an ongoing problem over the last several years, the Cobb Street Bridge in downtown Lula has been closed again because of "structural deficiencies" discovered during a yearly inspection by state transportation officials.
City of Lula officials announced the closure of the 100-year-old wooden bridge Wednesday, May 6 on the city's Facebook page.
"The Georgia Department of Transportation has completed an annual inspection of the Lula Cobb Street Bridge and found some structural deficiencies requiring the bridge to be closed until the corrections can be made by Norfolk Southern Railroad," the post stated. "The City of Lula was notified by telephone by the bridge inspection division Wednesday morning and closed the bridge upon notice."
The bridge has been rebuilt at least two times in its history, according to the city.
"For those familiar with this process through the years, repairs can be time consuming," the post said.
Norfolk Southern is responsible for any structural repairs to the bridge. Georgia DOT conducts an annual inspection on the bridge, and GDOT officials would be responsible for approving any repairs that are made. City officials said GDOT had not yet provided details of its findings to Lula or to Norfolk Southern.
For now, access to the bridge’s vehicle traffic has been closed at Main Street and Wall Street.
