Progress made on county MDOT improvement projects

The Mississippi Department of Transportation has announced a progress update on maintenance and safety improvement projects in District 3.
“The projects are ongoing in Holmes, Warren, Washington and Yazoo Counties,” said Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall. “These important projects are necessary to improve safety for the traveling public and maintain our current roadways.”
MDOT is currently working on a grade separation on U.S. Highway 49 East in the Bee Lake area in Holmes County. Crews are working to construct a railroad overpass on U.S. Highway 49 East as well as a hydraulic bridge over Parkers Bayou to improve safety and efficiency at this busy rail crossing. The construction of these bridges will eliminate safety, logistical and geometric concerns that currently plague the existing alignment of the highway.
“By separating the road from an active railroad carrying high speed trains, motorists will be able to navigate this intersection more safely and smoothly,” said District 3 Engineer Kevin Magee. “The railroad overpass will entirely remove the threat of collisions at this crossing.”
The estimated $11 million contract was let in November 2015 and the lowest bidder was Key Constructors, LLC. Work began in May 2016 and the project is expected to be complete in late fall 2017. The project is on schedule and crews are working on drainage and excavation work and will soon begin constructing drilled shafts for the foundations of both bridges.
Other notable projects in District 3 involve the elimination of structurally deficient bridges. Currently, District 3 has projects along Highway 17 and Highway 14 in Holmes County, and Highway 433 in Yazoo County to replace structurally deficient bridges on rural routes.
The project began in spring 2015. Crews have completed the new bridges and are currently working on base and pavement work to align the bridges with traffic. By the end of the summer, crews are expected to shift traffic onto the new bridges.
“Upon completion of these projects, we will have removed and replaced 11 structurally deficient bridges that are currently posted with lower weight limits,” Hall said. “The new bridges will significantly improve safety in several rural farming areas of the state.”