Published: July 08, 2008 11:06 pm      

Highway 19 project awarded, work to begin in August

A contract has been awarded to four-lane the 5.3 mile stretch of Highway 19 in Lauderdale County from Collinsville to the Newton County line, with work expected to begin in August.

Central District Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall announced Tuesday that the Mississippi Transportation Commission awarded the $26 million contract to L&T Construction, Inc. of Hernando.

The contract was awarded during Tuesday’s meeting of the Transportation Commission.

“I consider this a promise made and a promise kept,” Hall said in announcing the Commission’s action. “The four-laning of Highway 19 is of major importance to me which I have publicly stated many times. I am proud that this project will get under way in August with an anticipated completion date of July 2011.”

Hall said there may be some inconvenience because of construction.

“I’ve not seen a highway project anywhere in the United States that has not caused a slow down in the movement of traffic while it is under way, and rightly so," he said. " We recently dedicated a highway sign in memory of two Mississippi Department of Transportation employees who were fatally injured in the line of duty in 2001. Highway construction is a sign of progress and it is incumbent on drivers to abide by the posted speeds in work zones."

He said the bid from L&T Construction was higher than the state estimate of $24 million but lower than those submitted by the other three bidders.