Central District Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall Tuesday announced updates to several Mississippi Department of Transportation projects in central Mississippi.
“As work progresses on several Central Mississippi projects, motorists are reminded to be on high alert for roadside workers this holiday season,” said Commissioner Hall. “Please slow down and avoid distractions such as cell phones, especially when approaching work zones.”
* Bridge repairs underway across Central Mississippi
A bridge preservation project on Hwy 80 over Cow Creek and Tallahatta Creek in Lauderdale County will soon be underway. The project consists of removing any unsound concrete from steel pile encasements, abrasive blasting, painting, pouring new pile encasements and replacing end walls at end bents on the Tallahatta Creek Bridge.
On the Cow Creek Bridge, work consists of installing girder support plates, replacing mid-span diaphragms, installing new steel risers, abrasive blasting/painting and replacing unsound concrete with epoxy mortar. The contractor is Gibson and Associates and the total contract amount is $2.9 million. The project is scheduled for completion by early summer 2021.
A bridge repair project on SR 35 over KCS Railroad in Forest and Scott County was recently let to Gibson and Associates, Inc. for a contract amount of approximately $855,000. The project consists of abrasive blasting, repairing and painting the super structure along with other bridge components. The contractor is currently obtaining necessary submittals and shop drawings to submit for approval. The anticipated completion date is summer 2020.
* System preservation projects underway in Lauderdale County
“With MDOT’s continued focus on maintenance and preservation, pavement rehabilitation projects are critical to ensuring the safety of the traveling public in Mississippi,” said Commissioner Hall.
A project to mill and overlay approximately six miles of I-20/I-59 through Meridian remains underway. The project calls for repairs to be made at several failed areas, updates to signal hardware and guardrail replacement on the mainline interstate route from the 65th Avenue bridge to Hwy 45. Most work has been completed. Remaining operations includes bridge end wall repairs, removal of the existing bridge armor and placement of preformed joint sealant. APAC Mississippi was awarded the project for a total bid amount of $13 million. Remaining work is expected to be complete by early summer 2020.
Other work in Lauderdale County includes a project to mill and overlay approximately 11 miles of existing asphalt on Hwy 11 from Russell to the Alabama state line. The project includes the repair of failed areas, shoulder repair, widening the existing roadway, rumble strip placement and guardrail replacement. The cleaning and filling of concrete joints has been completed. The contractor is currently widening the existing roadway and repairing failed areas. All work remains on track to be complete by early summer 2020. APAC-Mississippi, Inc. is over the project with a contract amount of just over $5 million.
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 the MDOT website by clicking the attached link.
* Several projects moving forward in Hinds County
A project to overlay approximately ten miles of I-55 (including both northbound and southbound frontage roads) from the Copiah County Line to Byram is underway. Work includes pressure grouting, joint repair and guardrail installation. The contractor is W.E. Blain & Sons, Inc., with a contract amount of $15.4 million. All pressure grouting has been completed and portions of the west frontage road have been paved. Remaining work is on track to be complete by fall 2020.
Upgrades on SR 18 from Raymond to I-20 is nearing completion. The milling and paving of shoulders and mainline, trench-widening and punch-outs are complete. The additional turn lane at Siwell Road is now open to traffic. Upgrades including radar detection at signalized intersections and guardrail installation is complete. Rumble strips have been ground in shoulders throughout the project. Remaining efforts include striping operations and smoothness grinding. This project was awarded to Dickerson & Bowen for an amount of $8.77 million.
A bridge preservation project recently began on Hwy 80 over the Pearl River. The project consists of clearing debris from existing caps and bearings, removing existing collar retrofits, replacing existing joints and installing hanger assembles. The project includes the repair of damaged bridge railing, beams and caps. The contractor is Gibson and Associates, Inc., with a contract amount of $1.4 million and spring 2020 completion date.
I-20 interchange improvements at Norrell Road remain underway. The project will provide new geometry for the interchange while realigning and widening the frontage and local roads. All major bridge construction is complete. The bridge on the east side of I-20 has been widened to the north and south sides. Crews are paving the west side of the new frontage road bridge and dirt work on the south ramps, new loop and interstate widening has begun. Joe McGee Construction Company is the contractor for the project with an amount of $26.87 million.
Last month, the hydro-demolition project on both I-20 Lynch Creek bridges in Jackson was completed ahead of schedule. Using high-pressurized water, the existing bridge deck was removed and replaced with fresh concrete. Along with partially replacing the deck of each bridge, crews striped the new travel lanes and placed rip-rap along the creek bed to prevent erosion.
“I cannot speak highly enough about everyone involved in the Lynch Creek bridge rehab, including and especially the traveling public,” said MDOT Executive Director Melinda McGrath. “Together, we extended the service life of two bridges that carry 93,000 vehicles a day up to 50 years. That is an invaluable investment in our state’s infrastructure.”
* Infrastructure improvements underway in Madison and Rankin County
Crews are making headway on the I-55 north bridge widening over the I-220 ramp. The project will increase capacity on I-55 northbound by providing an additional northbound lane from the I-55 northbound to I-220 southbound exit ramp to the I-55 northbound to the Natchez Trace exit ramp. It will also widen the existing bridge on I-55 over the I-220 northbound to I-55 northbound ramp to provide for the additional lane. The ramps at the I-55 northbound to I-220 southbound and I-55 northbound to the Natchez Trace interchanges will be modified to incorporate this additional lane.
The project will also provide for the milling and overlay of the I-55 northbound lanes from County Line Road to the Natchez Trace, the west frontage road between Old Agency Road and Steed Road, the roundabout at Old Agency, the northeast loop from I-55 to Old Agency, the northwest loop from Old Agency to I-55 and the southwest ramp from Old Agency to I-55. Key Constructors, LLC was awarded the project with a contract amount of is $12.4 million.
Crews closed the I-220 northbound ramp to I-55 north overnight this week to remove forms used in the portion of the pour that was over the I-220 northbound ramp. During the overnight closures, crews are painting the portion of I-55 that is over the I-220 northbound ramp. The project remains on track to be completed by spring 2020.
In Rankin County, the major infrastructure improvement project to reconstruct and widen approximately 7.5 miles of Hwy 49 remains underway. The contractor has switched traffic to the completed Phase I work in the median. Phase II is underway and once complete, all the traffic will be pushed to the outside for Phase III. The existing concrete pavement and median will be removed in Phase III.
In Phase IV, all paving and striping will be completed. The project will provide three total travel lanes and a shoulder in each direction of Hwy 49 once complete. The contractor is W.G. Yates & Son Construction Company with a contract amount of nearly $152 million.