TUPELO, MISS. – The Mississippi Department of Transportation released an update on their current projects. In Choctaw County, MDOT has been replacing the bridges in Weir on Highway 407.
According to the release, MDOT is replacing the bridges because they’ve reached the end of their service life. The release states that the bridges are complete and MDOT is awaiting road work, which won’t begin until the Spring. The $5.2 million project, awarded to te-Bil Grading of Waterford, Miss., is expected to be complete in early summer 2025.
“We’re doing everything we can. We have so much more to do it’s hard to get too excited,” said Commissioner John Caldwell, Northern Transportation District. “Thankfully, our legislature has provided us more money in order to do more work. The patience of the public is greatly appreciated. Please slow down in construction zones to keep our workers and contractors safe.”
MDOT announced other updates on several construction and maintenance projects in northeast Mississippi.
Capacity Project in Tippah County
A $195 million project is underway in Tippah County to construct 10.5 miles of a new four-lane alignment of State Route 15 from Union County to Ripley and a State Route 2 connector in Blue Mountain. This project consists of grading, building bridges and laying drainage pipes.
The contractor is currently clearing the sites for the interchanges at State Route 4 and Cotton Gin Rd. and excavating and installing drainage structures at the State Route 368 interchange. The contractor has cleared and grassed approximately 220 of the 880 total acres on the project. This project will create a much-needed bypass of Blue Mountain and Ripley to reduce congestion, decrease drive time and make a much safer four-lane route for travelers.
The contract was awarded to W.G. Yates & Sons of Jackson. Work is expected to be complete in summer 2028.
Capacity Project in Union County
A $58.7 million project is underway in Union County to construct nearly 6 miles of new parallel lanes of State Route 15 to complete the four-Lane connection of Pontotoc to New Albany. The contractor has completed three miles of grading, drainage and paving on the new lanes, and traffic was swapped over to the new alignment, allowing for the replacement of the old bridge and pavement on the original highway.
The contractor is currently working on grading, guardrail, riprap and paving on portions of the project. This project will be the last section of SR 15 to be four-laned from Pontotoc to New Albany and will provide a much safer and economical route for travelers.
The contract was awarded to Talbot Brothers Contracting of Nesbit. Work is expected to be complete in spring 2027.
State Route 2 mill and overlay in Alcorn County
A mill and overlay project has been let in Alcorn County on 15 miles of State Route 2 from the Tippah County line to U.S. 72. This project will consist of digging out failed areas, milling and overlaying, placing rumble strips, new stripe and markers and replacing signs. The contractor plans on repairing failed areas over the next few weeks and will postpone further work until after winter.
The $4.6 million project was awarded to APAC of Jackson. The project is scheduled to be completed in summer 2025.
State Route 15 mill and overlay in Chickasaw County
A $5.3 million mill and overlay project is nearing completion in Chickasaw County on 15 miles of State Route 15 from south of Houston to the Pontotoc County line. The contractor has finished all paving and is currently laying shoulder gravel. Once complete, the final work will consist of placing rumble strips, stripe and raised pavement markers.
The contract was awarded to Cook and Son Construction LLC of Smithville. Work is expected to be complete in early spring 2025.
State Route 245 mill and overlay in Chickasaw County
A mill and overlay project has been let in Chickasaw County on 13 miles of State Route 245 from U.S. 45A to State Route 145 in Shannon. This project will consist of digging out failed areas, mill and overlay, placing rumble strips, new stripe, markers and replacing signs. Construction signs have been erected, and the contractor will begin repairing failed areas in the near future.
The $6 million project was awarded to W.G. Construction of Ripley. The project is scheduled to be complete in summer 2025.
Safety project in Lowndes County
A $7.5 million safety project on 12 miles of State Route 12 from State Route 50 to the Alabama state line and various locations on State Route 69 is underway. The project includes widening and overlay, sign upgrades and other safety enhancements. The contractor is currently working on shoulder widening, tree clearing and drainage structure extensions. The mill and overlay work, which includes widening the pavement, will begin in spring 2025.
Work is expected to be complete in summer 2025. The contract was awarded to Cook and Son, LLC.
State Route 25 bridge repair in Tishomingo County
A bridge repair project is underway on the State Route 25 bridge over Cripple Deer Creek in Tishomingo County. During a routine inspection of the bridge, it was discovered that repairs were needed for the bridge to continue to safely stay in service over the next few years until a bridge replacement project can be let.
The $391,000 project was awarded to Century Construction Group of Tupelo and will be complete in spring 2025.
State Route 182 bridge replacement project in Webster County
A project to replace the State Route 182 bridges over White Creek Canal and Little Black Creek is nearly completed in Webster County and has been opened to traffic recently. This project replaced two deteriorated bridges that had reached the end of their service life and replaced them with more efficient and safer structures.
This $4.7 million project was awarded to Ste-Bil Grading of Waterford.
Work zone safety
Highway work zones are meant to protect the traveling public and workers on the side of the road. Work zones present new traffic patterns and configurations that may be unfamiliar to motorists. For information about how to navigate highway work zones safely, visit GoMDOT.com/drivesmartms.
MDOT project website
Stay up to date on MDOT’s significant, active projects by visiting GoMDOT.com/Projects. The webpage provides up-to-date information on project timelines, progress and any potential road closures or detours that may be associated with the project.
For more information about these and other MDOT maintenance and construction projects, download the free MDOT Traffic mobile app, visit MDOTtraffic.com and like and follow @MississippiDOT on Facebook and X, formerly Twitter.
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The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) is responsible for providing a safe, intermodal transportation network that is planned, designed, constructed and maintained in an efficient, economical and environmentally sensitive manner. For more information, visit GoMDOT.com.
