Cherokee County has awarded a $158,500 engineering contract to determine what should be done with the Transart Parkway bridge over Toonigh Creek near Holly Springs.

The Board of Commissioners approved the contract with Heath & Lineback Engineers Inc. to evaluate the bridge, two lanes wide and weight-restricted, about a mile south of Sixes Road, according to a staff report to commissioners.

The consultant “will evaluate the location to determine whether a bridge replacement project or whether a culvert project would be the most cost-effective solution for this creek crossing,” staff said. “The new crossing will be designed to handle two-way traffic and (a) sidewalk on one side.”

The design will identify right-of-way needs, geotechnical investigation, environmental permits required and utility conflicts and include a staging plan for the project, staff said. The county intends to keep Transart open during construction.