OCEAN SPRINGS, MS — Newly obtained documents reveal that state officials informed Ocean Springs of the Hanshaw Road Bridge’s urgent structural failures on the same day they ordered its closure — contradicting statements made by a city leader who suggested the state had not explained the decision.
The Critical Findings Report, dated February 12, 2025, details significant structural deterioration caused by marine borer activity, which had severely compromised multiple support piles under the bridge. The report recommended “immediate closure” of the bridge, citing advanced section loss in key structural components.
The Mississippi Office of State Aid Road Construction (OSARC) acted on this report, issuing a formal closure order on February 27, 2025. However, city leaders did not publicly disclose the full extent of the bridge’s deterioration and, when contacted by the media, misrepresented the situation.
City Officials Misled the Public
In an article published earlier this week by the Sun Herald, Alderman Rob Blackman claimed that the state “has not explained why the bridge had to close.” That statement is directly contradicted by the OSARC closure order and the findings from the February 12 report.
According to the report, David Barrett, the State Aid Bridge Inspection Program Manager, was notified of the bridge’s critical condition at 11:45 AM on February 12. The state ordered the bridge’s closure more than two weeks later, on February 27.
City Clerk Patty Gaston previously confirmed that the city received OSARC’s closure order on March 3, two days before making the information public. At that time, city officials had full access to the Critical Findings Report and its recommendations.
Yet despite having this information, Blackman still told the press the city did not know why the bridge was closed.
A public records request made to the city resulted in the letter ordering Ocean Springs to close the bridge, but curiously omitted the pages containing the Critical Findings Report.
(UPDATE: Ten minutes after publishing this article, with the report acquired elsewhere, the city sent the Critical Findings Report.)
Shocking Images Show Extreme Structural Damage
The Critical Findings Report includes disturbing photos of the bridge’s severely deteriorated substructure, showing multiple rotting, weakened, and failing support piles.
According to the report:
- Bent 3 Piles 2, 4, 5, and 6 were found to be in urgent need of repair or replacement.
- Bent 4 Piles 1, 4, 5, and 6 were also severely compromised.
- Bent 5 Piles 1, 2, 3, and 6 showed advanced section loss due to prolonged exposure to marine borers.
The images show that many of these supports are visibly crumbling, raising concerns about how long the bridge remained open despite obvious signs of structural failure.
What Did City Officials Know — And When?
With the acquisition of the Critical Findings Report, it is now clear that city officials did have access to specific details about the bridge’s structural issues days before the closure.
The report’s “Immediate Closure” recommendation was sent on February 12, and the state issued an official closure order on February 27. The city received the letter on March 3, issued a press release on March 4, and closed the bridge on March 5.
Mayor Kenny Holloway and Alderman Blackman have not responded to GC Wire inquiries about why the city misrepresented the situation to the public or when they think the bridge may be fixed.
View the entire report below. Use the arrow keys to navigate through pages and pictures:
hanshaw-road-bridge-critical-findings
