HATTIESBURG, MS — Officials gathered recently to celebrate the completion of a major bridge replacement project on State Route 149 in Simpson County. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the north end of the State Route 149 bridge over the Strong River near the D’Lo Water Park.
Speakers included Commissioner Charles Busby, Southern Transportation District; Mississippi Transportation Commission Chairman Willie Simmons, Central Transportation District; Senator Andy Berry; and D’Lo Mayor John Henry Berry.
“[The ribbon cutting] marks a huge accomplishment as we open the last bridge on a $25 million project to replace four deteriorating bridges along State Route 149,” Busby said. “By addressing these issues head on and fully replacing these structures, motorists can be confident that these structures are sound and will remain so well into the future.”
Work began in late 2022 and called for the replacement of four aging bridges on State Route 149 in Simpson County including the Strong River Bridge, the Sellers Creek Bridge, the Dabbs Creek Bridge, and the Dabbs Creek Relief Box Bridge. Constructed in two phases, each bridge was closed to traffic while the project was underway.
“I’m honored to be here to help celebrate an important milestone for Simpson County as we reconnect the communities of D’Lo and Mendenhall,” Simmons said. “These communities will have a stronger connection via SR 149 that will serve drivers, families, and businesses for many generations.”
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Now open to traffic, the four new bridges meet modern standards of construction and are better equipped to handle the demands of today’s traffic. The $25 million contract was awarded to T.L. Wallace of Columbia.
While the Strong River bridge site was under construction, a work site accident occurred in October 2024 that resulted in the death of three workers. In a future ceremony, the bridge will be formally designated as the Badger-Malone-Igleharte Memorial Bridge in honor of Charles Badger, Kevin Malone and Charles Igleharte.
