YAZOO CITY, MS — Commissioner Willie Simmons, Central Transportation District, announces updates to several Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) maintenance projects in western Mississippi.

“As Commissioner, I am pleased to report that our infrastructure projects are not just moving forward, but gaining momentum as we move towards the end of 2023,” Simmons said. “We’re replacing bridges and paving the way towards a brighter, safer, and more connected future."

Work continues on the construction of nine miles of four-lane highway known as the U.S. 82 Greenville Bypass from State Route 1 to Leland in Washington County. Crews have completed seven box culverts, the bridge at Kuhn Road, and the bridge alignment at Old U.S. 61. Crews are currently constructing a box culvert, completing the bridge at Black Bayou, driving piles, and pouring caps at the bridges over Main Canal. Borrow, gravel, soil cement, and asphalt operations are continuing west of VFW Road. The $137 million contract was awarded to Eutaw Construction of Madison. Work is on track to be completed fall 2025.A project calling for repairs to several I-20 bridges over Iowa Avenue, Stouts Bayou, and the KCS Railroad in Warren County is underway. The project began last summer. Crews are currently installing rip rap at the bridge sites and repairing beams with fiber-reinforced polymer wrap. The $3.4 million contract was awarded to Key, LLC of Madison. Remaining work is expected to be complete by summer 2024.A project providing for the mill and overlay of 22 miles of I-55 from half a mile north of State Route 17 to the Carroll County line is continuing to make headway. Crews have completed the partial clearing of trees along the interstate and have milled and paved the first lift of stone matrix asphalt throughout the project. Paving efforts from Durant to the Carroll County line are underway on the interstate. The $39 million project was awarded to APAC-Mississippi of Jackson. Work is estimated to be completed by spring 2024.A mill and overlay of 11 miles of I-55 from the Lincoln County line to Hazlehurst continues making progress in Copiah County. The contractor is currently paving the OGFC lift toward the northern end of the project and placing thermoplastic stripe. All clearing operations along the interstate are complete. The $16.1 million contract was awarded to W.E. Blain & Sons of Mount Olive. Remaining work is on track to be completed this fall.A project to overlay 15 miles of State Route 446 from SR 1 to U.S. 61 has begun in Bolivar County. Crews are in the process of random clearing efforts throughout the project. The $5.1 million contract was awarded to APAC-Mississippi, Inc. Work is scheduled to be completed by summer 2024.A project is underway to replace the State Route 18 bridge No. 24.2 over White Oak Creek between the Claiborne County line and the Hinds County line. Traffic has been swapped back to the original alignment and crews are currently removing the detour. The $4.9 million contract was awarded to Joe McGee Construction Company of Lake. The project is scheduled to be complete next spring.The mill and overlay of State Route 1 from half a mile south of State Route 438 to the end of the four-lane section near Dycus Road in Washington County is nearing completion. All mainline paving is complete. Crews will soon place the thermoplastic stripe. Remaining work will be complete by the end of the year. The nearly $5 million project was awarded to APAC-Mississippi, Inc.A bridge replacement project on State Route 27 is making headway over the Big Black River in Hinds County. Clearing operations are complete and borrow material is being hauled to construct the new alignment. The nearly $20 million contract was awarded to Key, LLC. Work is expected to wrap up spring 2024.