Temporary bridge washes downstream

After 5-to-6 inches of rainfall June 13, five pieces of a temporary wooden bridge used by Sheehan Pipeline Construction landed in a wooded area southwest of Marion, owned by Harry Bennett.

Sheehan contractor Jim Lovell said that the pieces weigh more than 1,000 pounds each and are 4 feet wide, 14 feet long, and a foot thick. They were used to drive bulldozers and backhoes over Spring Branch Creek on land owned by Ladd and Lucy Helmer in the pipeline right-of-way. Six-inch pipe buried 4-to-5-feet deep anchored the bridge, but flooding yanked posts out of the ground.

“It’s amazing how much pressure water can put out,” Lovell said.

Lovell met with Bennett Friday and discussed options for extracting the large pieces of bridge. “Sheehan pipeline apologizes for any inconvenience high water caused,” Lovell said. “We hope to have it cleaned up as soon as possible.”