HATTIESBURG, MS — Commissioner Tom King, Southern Transportation District, announces updates to several Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) projects in south Mississippi.

“As I reach the end of my final term as Southern District Transportation Commissioner, I’m pleased to see many projects in South Mississippi coming to a close and other large improvement projects on the horizon,” King said. “Safety has always been my No. 1 priority, and it’s been the honor of my career to play a role in shaping a safer transportation system for our state through infrastructure projects large and small.”

A $7 million project to widen and overlay State Route 29 from west of I-59 to the intersection of State Route 28 is now complete in Jones County. This project was awarded to Warren Paving of Hattiesburg.A $212.6 million project to grade, drain, bridge, and pave approximately 9 miles of State Route 57 from I-10 to Vancleave continues to progress. The project will widen SR 57 from two to four lanes and create a new four-lane alignment near the Vancleave area to alleviate area congestion and expand capacity of the roadway, which is a hurricane evacuation route.

Earthwork is ongoing, and drainage and box culverts are being installed. Ten of the project’s 13 bridge sites are currently under construction. Base and paving work is underway or expected to begin soon along West Frontage Road, an SR 57 connector road, Jim Ramsay Road, Jim Ramsay Road detour, and Seaman Road.  

The project was awarded to W.G. Yates and Sons Construction Company of Jackson and is expected to wrap up in 2027.

A safety improvement project is making progress in Forrest County on I-59. This $66.7 million project stretches 14 miles from the Lamar County line to just south of Moselle.

Rubblizing, paving, and grading continues between Evelyn Gandy Parkway/State Route 42 (Exit 69) and U.S. 49 (Exit 67A and 67B). The contractor will continue to move south in segments until the project is complete. Drainage structures are being installed in various locations along the outside lanes of I-59 to route excess water away from the interstate. This project was awarded to Dunn Roadbuilders of Laurel and is expected to be complete in late summer 2024.

A $37 million project is underway to mill and overlay I-59 from just north of the Louisiana state line to McNeill. The project also involves pier protection for bridges, new asphalt with a drainage layer, and ramp improvements. A delay in materials delivery has stalled paving work.  

This project was awarded to Huey P. Stockstill of Picayune and is expected to be completed summer 2024.

Construction has begun on two roundabouts to the north and south of I-10 on Shriners Boulevard (Exit 41) in Harrison County. The project scope involves developing two teardrop-shaped roundabouts and extending drainage structures. The project is expected to slow traffic and decrease accidents in the area.

The $2.3 million project was awarded to JLB Contractors, LLC of Long Beach and is expected to wrap up in fall 2024.

A project to overlay U.S. 84 in Jones County from the beginning of state maintenance in Laurel, just west of I-59, to the Wayne County line is nearing completion with only punch list items remaining. This $14 million project was awarded to Dunn Roadbuilders and should be complete in early 2024.A safety improvement project on U.S. 49 is nearing completion in Forrest County. The project stretches from the Stone County line to South Gate Road. Paving operations are complete, and permanent striping is being installed.  

This $41 million contract was awarded to T.L. Wallace Construction of Columbia and is expected to wrap up in early 2024.

A $13 million project to mill and overlay 7 miles of I-59 from just south of the Hillsdale interchange to the Lamar County line is now complete. This project was awarded to Warren Paving.Crews have made progress on a bridge replacement project to replace the State Route 42 bridge over Tallahalla Creek in Perry County. The bridge deck is complete, and the bridge railing is expected to be complete in early 2024. Paving is underway on the approach. Once this work is complete, traffic will be diverted onto the new bridge and the old bridge will be removed.    

This $17 million project was awarded to Cotton Creek Transport of Laurel. The bridge replacement is expected to be completed in summer 2024.

A $10 million project to mill and overlay U.S. 49 from Myers Creek to U.S. 11 is now underway in Forrest County. The scope of work includes drainage improvements in addition to the overlay. Currently, drainage structures in the area are being widened.

This project was awarded to Warren Paving and is expected to wrap up summer 2024.

Following damage sustained by Hurricane Zeta, traffic signals and information technology equipment are being repaired or replaced at 42 intersections along U.S. 90 from Bay St. Louis to Biloxi. The contractor is currently placing underground cables, video detection equipment, and traffic signals.

This $5 million project was awarded to Webster Electric of Collinsville. Work is expected to be complete summer 2024.

A similar project is now underway in Harrison County to repair or replace traffic signals and information technology equipment at 51 signalized intersections along U.S. 49, I-10, I-110, State Route 605, and State Route 67. The contractor is placing traffic signal heads. This $3.4 million project was awarded to Powell Construction Services of Vancleave and is expected to wrap up summer 2024.