ACEC Mississippi recognizes Garver project with Grand Award

The Garver-led County Road (CR) 221 Gums Crossing Bridge project won the Grand Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Mississippi during its recent Engineering Excellence Awards gala, which recognized the most outstanding engineering achievements of the year across the state.

Working on an accelerated schedule, Garver provided environmental documentation, roadway design, bridge structural design, roadway and bridge hydraulic design, and contractor submittal review services to replace the collapsed bridge over the Skuna River. As part of a separate contract, Garver performed a hydraulic engineering analysis of the bridge, which included scour evaluations, stream stability analysis, and development of bridge repair and replacement options.

The original CR 221 Gums Crossing Bridge was closed in 2019, after persistent rainfall and historic flooding damaged its substructure. Then in 2020, six of its spans collapsed into the Skuna River due to lateral channel migration and pier scour. Residents of Yalobusha County were forced to make a lengthy detour - at least 60 miles - of the downed bridge, increasing commute times from 15 minutes to over an hour and increasing fuel costs. The long detour also slowed response times from emergency vehicles, reducing public safety.

Replacing the original bridge involved the construction of a new 1,600 linear foot bridge with improved roadway alignment and retaining walls. This project came with significant challenges, such as the bridge’s vulnerability to frequent flooding, lateral channel migration, debris accumulation, and lake level fluctuation created by its location within Grenada Lake, a flood control reservoir constructed and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).

Garver addressed these challenges by implementing advanced hydrologic and hydraulic modeling to analyze the water flow patterns and design a structure capable of withstanding even extreme weather events. The new CR 221 Gums Crossing Bridge features elevated approaches and deeper foundations, improving flood resilience and durability. Thanks to this innovative design, Yalobusha County residents have a reliable, safe connection to schools, places of work, healthcare facilities, and local businesses.