OCEAN SPRINGS, MS – A GC Wire review of National Bridge Inventory inspection reports from 2021 to present confirms the Hanshaw Road Bridge has been rated as “Poor Condition” for years, with a standing recommendation for replacement.
Each year, the reports showed no improvements, and in 2023, the deck and superstructure both declined from fair to poor ratings, confirming the bridge’s deterioration was accelerating.
Ocean Springs was ordered to close the bridge immediately by Mississippi Office of State Aid Road Construction (OSARC) via a letter dated February 17, 2025.
(See More: Shocking Photos of ‘Compromised’ Bridge Structure)
Despite years of documented warnings, Ocean Springs Mayor Kenny Holloway and Jackson County Supervisor Randy Bosarge both claimed they were blindsided by the state’s decision to close the bridge last month.
Holloway, who did not respond to GC Wire inquiries about the bridge’s condition, told the Sun Herald, “I didn’t know what was wrong with it.” Bosarge made a similar claim, telling the paper that the latest inspection and resulting closure order came as a surprise.
Officials at OSARC confirmed both the city and county receive copies of each bridge inspection report. The findings are also publicly available to everyone via several state and federal agency websites.
Mayor’s Infrastructure Priorities Miss the Mark
“Infrastructure updates and repairs remain to be a top priority for our administration,” Holloway stated during his 2022 State of the City address. Yet, the mayor seemed to ignore several grave warnings for a bridge on a road that is a vital part of the Ocean Springs daily commute.
Prior to being shut down, the Hanshaw Road Bridge was traveled on by nearly ten thousand vehicles a day, including children commuting to and from school.
According to Federal Highway Administration standards, bridges with a substructure rating of “Poor” and continued deterioration pose an increased risk of structural failure. Had the state not stepped in and forced its closure, the ongoing decay of its foundation could have resulted in a catastrophic collapse, putting everyone who traveled across it at risk.
Publicly, the mayor has touted infrastructure as a top priority for his administration since taking office, but some feel his administration is placing more emphasis on vanity projects that had less or no direct impact on public safety.
“The bridge may be falling apart, but at least we have a new roundabout with pretty shrubs and a sprinkler system that nobody asked for,” wrote one frustrated resident on Facebook.
A Scramble for Funds
Despite the Hanshaw Road Bridge receiving poor ratings for years and an active recommendation for replacement, there is no immediate evidence the City of Ocean Springs or Jackson County sought funding prior to the point of a mandatory bridge shutdown.
Had local officials applied for state or federal infrastructure grants, there is a strong possibility that repairs or full replacement could have been funded before the bridge reached a crisis point.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), signed in 2021, allocated billions in funding for bridge repair and replacement — specifically for bridges in poor condition like Hanshaw Road Bridge. Mississippi has received hundreds of millions in federal bridge formula funding, yet Ocean Springs does not appear to have pursued any of it for this failing bridge and are now scrambling for funds.
Instead, Mayor Holloway and local officials funneled infrastructure dollars into less essential projects while ignoring a bridge that carried nearly 10,000 vehicles a day, including school buses.
Holloway told the Sun Herald bridge replacement could be anywhere from $2 to $3 million and that he plans to ask the county for assistance. Bosarge stated the county is usually willing to help, but it would require a vote by the full Board of Supervisors. The city’s failure to apply for available funding and lack of preventative maintenance actions are major contributing factors to the emergency closure, and now, residents are left wondering: How long will it take to fix it?
