Jail construction reaches next level

By CHARLES W. JOHNSON / News Editor for the Southern Standard

The Warren County Jail expansion reached a milestone Tuesday as construction began on the second floor of the facility. Pictured are, from left, architect Jim Armstrong, MCG project manager Chris Knopf and site superintendent Kenneth Bratcher.

Warren County Jail expansion reached a milestone Tuesday morning when a subcontractor for Medical Construction Group began using a large crane to lay the pre-stressed concrete slabs that will form the second floor. Site superintendent Kenneth Bratcher said the project will be moving along much faster at this point because of the improving weather conditions as winter moves into spring and summer.

Once all the concrete slabs are in place, Bratcher said the expansion should really begin to take shape.

“Then we go right on building the cells on the second floor,” Bratcher said. “Then shortly after the cells are built, we’ll start with the roof elevations, and go into the roof with it.”

The pre-stressed concrete slab construction minimizes personnel and saves considerably in the cost of installation, according to Bratcher, since the pre-formed concrete sections preclude having to build forms and pour the concrete manually.

“All this would have to be formed underneath,” he said. “You’d have to have plywood forms and all that, so yes, I’d say you save over a third by using the pre-stressed concrete.”

Both Bratcher and MCG project manager Chris Knopf are pleased with the progress and are looking forward to more favorable construction conditions.

“I think it’s going great,” said Knopf. “Now that we’ve got out steel up and our planks going, this second floor is going to jump up real quick. We’ve had some bad weather, but now I expect things to really break and start moving on up.”

Jail Oversight Committee members, who have started holding their meetings at the site, were also pleased with the progress and the quality of construction.

“I think everything with the jail is going excellent,” said Commissioner Carl Bouldin. “I think we have a good contractor and I think within the next few months the general public is going to be surprised with all the work and what’s going on with the jail. I’m well pleased with it.”

“I think it looks real good,” said Commissioner George Smartt. “The construction seems to be coming along the way we thought it would. It’s good to see it coming up like this. It looks very solid.”

Smartt said, with what he knew of the construction, the jail should end up being a secure facility.

“I don’t think I could get out of it,” he said.