Concerns over the rerouted traffic due to a closed state highway prompted county commissioners to restrict weight limits on a section of Galloway Road.

Commissioners voted Monday to post a 15-ton weight restriction on Galloway Road from the city limits of Brundidge to County Road 5511.

“Once Alabama Highway 93 is back open to traffic, we can remove the posting,” said County Engineer Russell Oliver.

A portion of Alabama 93 and Alabama 29, have been closed since late December 2015, when heavy rains caused significant road damage throughout the county.

Galloway Road was posted at the prompting of Commissioner Charlie Harris, whose district includes Galloway Road. “All the traffic that goes into Brundidge from Banks and Union Springs, and all those 18-wheelers, are coming through Galloway Road,” he said. ‘The pavement is cracking really bad and if we don’t do something it’s just going to get worse.”

In addition, Oliver said, the county has received numerous reports of trucks ignoring the signs on the nearby bridge at Whitewater Creek (County Road 5511), which also is under weight limit restrictions.

“We’ve called the state troopers and asked if they would patrol that area,” Oliver said. “We need people to obey the signs that are posted and to understand that ignoring them is against the law and could be dangerous.”

The 15-ton weight limit should not affect school buses or empty 18-wheelers but would prevent trucks hauling timber or other full loads from travelling the damaged roadways and posted bridge. In addition to the two sections of state highway, seven additional roads remain closed in Pike County as a result of that storm damage. “We’re working to get two open this week,” Oliver said. “We had it down to six closed roads, but this afternoon we had to close a road that had been damaged and previously reopened.”

Henderson said his office also is awaiting a response from the NRCS regarding repairs to a repair situation on Henderson Highway, which initially was declared ineligible for NRCS funding. “We think they have inaccurate information and we’re resubmitting it to them,” he said. In other business on Monday, the commissioners:

• Approved a public notice requesting sealed bids for the purchase of the Rock Building. The commission will open bids at 2 p.m. on March 22 in the commission meeting room.

• Accepted the resignation of a road department employee and authorized the hiring of e a replacement.

• Approved an off-premises retail beer license for Fue Kong LLC. The business will be located at 5284 Highway 87 in Troy.

• Authorized county administrator Harry Sanders to work with an engineer, if needed, to develop specs and a proposal for repairing the county extension building.

• Approved several items as surplus.