The Henderson City Commission approved a deal with Pittsburg Tank & Tower Group to paint a section of the CSX bridge that spans Water Street.
The approval came at Tuesday’s meeting after the commission came out of a closed session.
Assistant City Manager Buzzy Newman said the deal came about when he and PTTG officials were discussing the company’s desire to buy a parcel of land abutting its current Corporate Court facility that the city currently leases to them.
PTTG chairman Ben Johnston told Newman that it would be better if the company were to own the 2.29 acres which is adjacent to the city’s former Public Works facility, said the assistant city manager. Newman said the city’s price for the land was set at $30,000.
Newman—while talking to PTTG—floated an idea of a trade of sorts. He asked if PTTG would be willing to paint sections of the CSX railroad bridge that spans through the city and also for estimates for those spans, which include bridge sections over Green, Elm, Main and Water streets.
At Tuesday’s meeting, he recommended that the city start with the section over Water Street which spans from the bridge embankment on the east side of Water Street to the point where the superstructure begins on the bridge. Newman estimated the length of the section at 200-250 feet.
The total estimate to clean, prime and paint that section is $92,000, with a net cost to the city at $62,000 with the land trade, Newman said.
Newman said that finding companies to work on railroad structures is difficult because of the high insurance costs associated with it, but PTTG has the proper coverage.
Henderson Mayor Brad Staton said that city officials have been looking at prices associated with similar projects in other cities and have found that those projects are all costing more than $100,000.
The city will need to make an application with CSX Transportation and will need to get the paint specifications approved by the railroad company, Newman said.
Another point of interest is that the paint currently remaining on the bridge is lead-based, Newman said. He said PTTG can safely collect and dispose of that hazardous paint dust and chips.
The repainting process for the section of the bridge will take about three weeks and could be a fall project if the CSX application goes smoothly, Newman said.
The city will also examine paint colors that fit in with the character of the surrounding community, which includes the next-door Rhythm River Distillery, he said.
