JENNINGS — A bridge in Welsh that has been closed since July will soon undergo repairs after the Jeff Davis Parish Police Jury approved a contract for the project Wednesday.

The Police Jury awarded a $282,160 contract to B&J Marine Services of Lake Arthur for a bridge replacement project on Beaufort Street. The company was the lowest of three bids received for the project last month.

Police Jury President Donald Woods said the project calls for total replacement of the entire bridge which was closed after a bridge inspection found structural damage making the bridge unsafe for motorists.

Residents have had to use alternate routes while the bridge is closed, he said.

The Police Jury, town of Welsh and Welsh Gravity Drainage District will share the cost of repairing the bridge.

In other matters, the Police jury approved separate rezoning requests for a bar pit, mobile home park and sand pit in various areas of the parish.

In the first request, the Police Jury granted a rezoning change from agriculture to heavy industrial for a bar, or dirt, pit on about 100 acres off La. 99 near Thornwell for Black Lake Properties.

A second request to rezone a lot on Commercial Street just outside of Lake Arthur from agriculture to commercial for a mobile home park for H & M Land was also approved.

A final request from Kathleen Dimitrov, Eric T. Savant, Evan M. Savant and Carianne Thigpend to rezone property in Indian Village from agriculture to heavy industrial for a sand pit was also approved.