Residents insist Black’s Mill bridge reopen

County considers options after GDOT shuts down bridge

Former commissioner Gary Pichon inspects the Black’s Mill bridge in July of 2013, when the county decided to add new guardrails to the dilapidated bridge. Now, the bridge has been closed since July and the county is preparing to build a new one in its place. - photo by File photo

Black's Mill bridge — Former commissioner Gary Pichon inspects the Black’s Mill bridge in July of 2013, when the county decided to add new guardrails to the dilapidated bridge. Now, the bridge has been closed since July and the county is preparing to build a new one in its place. - photo by File photo

An iconic bridge in southwest Dawson County was closed last month after an inspection by the Georgia Department of Transportation deemed the bridge not safe for vehicular travel. Black’s Mill bridge sits a quarter of a mile back on Black’s Mill Road, a single-lane gravel road off Dawson Forest Road. The bridge was closed July 19, much to the dismay of local residents who use the road to get onto Dawson Forest. The weight-restricted, 28-foot long wooden bridge over Black’s Mill Creek was built in 1953 and, according to Public Works Director David McKee, is no longer salvageable.

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