Major bridge, highway expansion and pavement rehabilitation projects are progressing across central and east-central Mississippi, including a nearly $400 million interstate improvement project scheduled to begin this fall.
According to the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT), the work includes bridge replacement, earthwork, soil stabilization, concrete and asphalt paving and pavement rehabilitation.
$400M Interstate Project Begins
One of the largest projects is the approximately $400 million I-20/I-55 Freight Corridor Improvement Project, known as “The Big Fix,” in Hinds and Rankin counties.
The project will rehabilitate and modernize 36 bridges and resurface and repair 32 interstate miles, totaling 121 lane miles.
Work extends along I-20 from Wiggins Road to just east of the Pearson Road/State Route 468 interchange, I-55 from McDowell Road to north of the High Street interchange, I-220 from I-20 to the Lynch Street bridge and U.S. 51 from I-55 to the end of state maintenance north of U.S. 80.
The project is scheduled to begin this fall and continue for approximately 2½ years. According to MDOT, the improvements will extend the service life of the existing infrastructure by approximately 40 years.
MDOT and Construction Manager/General Contractor Yates-Key, a joint venture, are leading the project.
Replacing 13 Bridges
MDOT photo
A nearly $88 million project is replacing 13 bridges on U.S. 80 in Newton and Lauderdale counties and U.S. 51 in Madison County.
On U.S. 80 in Newton County, four bridges are being replaced. All four sites have been cleared and the box culvert is complete. Crews have removed two of the bridges and driven piles at both locations. One bridge is scheduled to reopen this month.
Four additional U.S. 80 bridges are being replaced in Newton and Lauderdale counties. All four sites have been cleared, piles have been driven at one location and crews are removing another bridge.
Five U.S. 51 bridges in Madison County also are included. Crews have completed deck pours on two bridges, with bridge railing and roadway work remaining.
Cotton Creek Transport Inc. of Laurel is the prime contractor. The scheduled completion date is fall 2028.
SR 19 Expansion Continues
Construction continues on a $97.4 million project expanding State Route 19 from two to four lanes between House and Tucker in Neshoba County.
The project includes nine bridges, two new northbound lanes and reconstruction of the existing SR 19 to serve as the two new southbound lanes.
Crews are hauling excess, borrow and unclassified material, pouring bridge rails, sleeper slabs and approach slabs and mixing soil cement on subgrade and base courses.
Five bridges are complete and all box culverts have been installed.
W.G. Yates & Son Construction Company of Philadelphia, Miss., is the contractor. Work is scheduled for completion in summer 2028.
Pavement Projects Advance
Several major interstate pavement projects also are progressing.
On I-20 in Rankin County, crews are completing an $11.2 million project involving removal and replacement of 13 miles of surface pavement between the East Brandon Interchange and the Scott County line.
The work includes milling and overlaying existing open-grade friction course pavement, repairing failed areas in the underlying concrete pavement, joint and crack sealing, drainage structure clearing and guardrail upgrades. Mainline paving is complete and crews are nearing completion of the interchange ramps.
APAC-MS Inc. is the contractor, with completion scheduled for fall 2026.
In Hinds County, an $8.7 million project is resurfacing 7 mi. of I-55 from Byram to McDowell Road. The existing open-grade friction course is being removed and replaced with stone matrix asphalt.
Failed-area repairs and mainline paving are complete, with crews currently paving ramps. Dickerson & Bowen Inc. of Brookhaven is the contractor.
Another $6.1 million project involves removing and replacing 5.3 mi. of open-grade friction course on I-20 from State Route 18 at Crossgates Boulevard to U.S. 80 in east Brandon.
The work includes failed-area repairs, tree clearing, debris removal, fence replacement, joint and crack sealing, shoulder fog sealing and guardrail upgrades. Milling and paving are under way, with completion planned for spring 2027. APAC-MS is the contractor.
A $8.6 million mill-and-overlay project on six miles of I-20 in Hinds County, from just west of the Natchez Trace Parkway in Clinton to State Route 18, also is nearing completion. Paving is complete, with crews finishing fog sealing and clipping shoulders to grade.
APAC-MS is the contractor.
More Bridge Work
In Noxubee County, a $7.4 million project is replacing the State Route 14 bridge over Hashuqua Creek.
The first phase, including construction of a detour road and bridge, is complete. Phase II work includes the bridge substructure and deck, both of which have been completed. Crews are constructing the roadway approaches for the new mainline bridge.
Cotton Creek Transport Inc. is the contractor, with completion scheduled for this fall.
A separate $1.3 million project to repair the State Route 145 bridge over the Noxubee River relief has been completed.
The work included painting, removal of the asphalt overlay from the bridge deck, joint repairs and resealing, installation of a hybrid polymer concrete overlay, beam-end repairs, epoxy repairs of spalled areas and installation of saddles.
Hemphill Construction Company Inc. of Florence was the contractor.
The projects are part of an ongoing MDOT construction program that includes major bridge replacements, highway expansion and pavement rehabilitation throughout central and east-central Mississippi. ⣠CEG
