Greenwood’s Veterans Bridge will be closed starting in the afternoon of June 29 as part of preparations for the Stars & Stripes Festival on June 30.
Greenwood Mayor Carolyn McAdams said the bridge will be closed to traffic beginning at 1 p.m. on June 29. It will reopen to vehicular traffic around 11 p.m. on June 30, after the festival concludes, she said.
The bridge, which crosses the Yazoo River, will be used as the staging and launching area for the celebration’s fireworks display.
While the bridge is closed to traffic, an inspection of its support columns will be made and efforts to remove accumulated drift debris from the bridge’s support structure will be completed, the mayor said.
The work is a joint effort by the city and Leflore County.
McAdams said river silt has built up around the columns, trapping floating debris such as logs and limbs. The accumulation of silt and debris ultimately will harm the integrity of the bridge’s columns, she said.
McAdams said the bridge’s use as a fireworks launch site is a good idea, particularly since this year’s festival will feature a boat parade on the river.
• Contact Bob Darden at bdarden at gwcommonwealth.com.
