Wares Ferry Road Bridge to Reopen Thursday, Months Ahead of Schedule

City completes $1.15 million emergency replacement project seven months after bridge closure.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The City of Montgomery reopened the Wares Ferry Road bridge to traffic at 9 a.m. Thursday, July 23, completing the emergency replacement project months ahead of its original schedule.

The project was completed seven months after the bridge was closed and approximately six months after emergency provisions were approved to begin the replacement process.

"This reopening is about restoring an important connection for the people who live, work and travel through this area," Mayor Steven L. Reed said. "When engineers determined that the bridge was no longer safe, we closed it, got to work and committed ourselves to delivering a permanent solution as quickly as possible. Completing a project of this size months ahead of schedule reflects the urgency, coordination and responsible project management our residents should expect from their city."

The City closed the bridge on December 18, 2025, after structural assessments determined that it was no longer safe for traffic. Engineering teams then moved quickly to complete the necessary design, environmental, utility and construction work required to replace the damaged structure.

The total project cost is approximately $1.15 million. McDonald Construction served as the contractor for the bridge replacement. Thanks to the City's strong partnership with the Poarch Creek Indians, they will cover half of the project cost. This shared investment allowed the City to move quickly to address the safety issue and reopen the bridge.

"We knew how heavily residents and businesses rely on this roadway, and our team approached this project with a clear sense of urgency," said Harold "Kippy" Tate, director of the City's Department of Planning, Inspections, Permitting and Engineering. "Completing the replacement within seven months required engineers, contractors, utility partners and City departments to work through every challenge without sacrificing safety or quality. This is what effective infrastructure management looks like."

The work included removal of the damaged bridge, environmental and utility coordination, installation of a new precast culvert system, roadway reconstruction, concrete work and final site restoration.

Although periods of heavy rain affected portions of the construction schedule, the project remained on track and has opened months earlier than initially anticipated.

"This was an unusually fast timeline for an emergency bridge replacement of this scope," said Holly W. Olesen, director of Engineering and Environmental Services. "That timeline was possible because the project team moved quickly through design, approvals, fabrication and construction while maintaining the standards necessary to provide a safe and durable crossing. We appreciate the community's patience and the commitment of everyone who helped bring the project to completion."

Motorists may begin using the bridge once the barricades are removed at 9 a.m. Thursday. Drivers are encouraged to use caution as normal traffic patterns resume in the area.