MCCOMB, MS — Commissioner Charles Busby, Southern Transportation District, announces updates to several Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) projects in southwest Mississippi.
“Southwest Mississippi is getting a major infrastructure upgrade thanks to several significant projects currently under construction,” Busby said. “Bridge replacements around the region and the I-55 resurfacing project will not only make travel safer and more efficient for commuters, but this work will also make a positive difference for freight and marine traffic, which help drive our state’s economy.”
A large infrastructure project in Pike County is underway to resurface 5 miles of I-55 from State Route 24 to U.S. 98, construct two roundabouts on U.S. 98 at the I-55 interchange, and raise four bridges over I-55, including Delaware Avenue, Park Avenue, Enterprise Road, and Robb Street. The project is expected to increase interstate traffic safety and optimize traffic flow at the U.S. 98 interchange.
The Delaware Avenue overpass has been raised, and the Park Avenue overpass is currently closed to traffic while being raised. Excavation and drainage work is ongoing. Earthwork is underway at the U.S. 98 interchange at Summit, and traffic shifts can be expected at this location while roundabouts are under construction. The nearly $76 million project was awarded to Barriere Construction of Laplace, Louisiana, and should wrap up in 2027.
The eastbound and westbound bridges over the Pearl River are being replaced as part of a project on U.S. 98 in Marion County. Traffic has been shifted to the westbound bridge in a head-to-head configuration while the eastbound bridge is being replaced. Drill shaft foundations are being installed for the new eastbound bridge, and crews are driving piling and pouring caps. Bank stabilization efforts continue as crews have removed old steel jetty structures and are placing rip-rap to mitigate erosion and address scour issues. The $57.7 million project was awarded to T.L. Wallace of Columbia, Mississippi, and is expected to be completed in 2027.
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The contractor has begun Phase 2 of a project to replace a total of four bridges on State Route 149 between State Route 13 and U.S. 49 in Simpson County. Phase 1 called for the replacement of the Sellers Creek bridge, the Dabbs Creek bridge, and the Dabbs Creek relief box bridge. The Seller’s Creek bridge is currently open to traffic. The two Dabbs Creek bridges are nearing completion and will be open to traffic in the near future when roadway and bridge striping is complete.
Phase 2 of the project calls for the replacement of the Strong River bridge, which closed to traffic in September. While the contractor was in the process of demolishing the existing bridge, a portion of the structure collapsed, resulting in the deaths of three workers. The project is currently on hold until an Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation can be completed.
This $25 million contract was awarded to T.L. Wallace. Phase 1 of the project is expected to wrap up in 2025, and Phase 2 is estimated to be complete by 2026.
An aging truss bridge on U.S. 98 over the Homochitto River is being replaced with a modern post-tension concrete bridge in Franklin County as part of a $25.7 million project. Drill shaft installation continues, and crews are constructing forms to pour caps. U.S. 98 is closed between State Route 556 and Berrytown Road while construction is ongoing. This $25.7 million contract was awarded to Key, LLC of Madison, Mississippi, and is expected to be completed in summer 2026.
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A project in Smith County is underway to implement a traditional intersection with a traffic signal at the intersection of State Route 28 and State Route 37 in Taylorsville, Mississippi. Drainage work is ongoing, and crews are pouring curb, gutter, concrete islands, and inlets. The $5.5 million project was awarded to Chris Albritton Construction of Laurel, Mississippi, and should be complete in 2025.
In Lawrence County, a project is underway to construct a roundabout at the intersection of State Route 27 and Thomas Jolly Drive and overlay 8 miles of SR 27 from Dewey Ballard Road to just north of U.S. 84. Roundabout construction is ongoing, and crews are currently paving the mainline sections of SR 27. The $5.3 million project was awarded to Walters Construction of Laurel and is expected to be complete this winter.
Work is underway on a $4.5 million bridge replacement project on State Route 184 over White Sand Creek in Jefferson Davis County. Bridge beams are in place, and crews are working on forming and pouring the bridge deck surface. The project was awarded to N.L. Carson Construction of Carthage, Mississippi, and is expected to wrap up in 2025.
