Published: July 16, 2008 11:15 pm      

Toomsuba off-ramp to close today

Hall discusses other projects

From staff reports



The Mississippi Department of Transportation issued a traffic alert Wednesday to motorists traveling on I-59/I-20 in Lauderdale County.

Beginning around noon today, construction crews will close the westbound lane of the Toomsuba off-ramp to perform paving operations in the area.

The ramp is expected to be reopened at 3 p.m.

Motorists are urged to drive with extreme caution through the area and watch out for crews and equipment in the work zone.

Mill and overlay work is being done on Interstate 20/59 from Russell to the Alabama state line.

Mississippi Central District Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall said the $13.8 million project, expected to be completed this October, is 62 percent complete.

MDOT also is currently replacing bridges between the Interstate 20/59 split and 65th Avenue, an $8 million project that is 86 percent complete and is expected to be finished this November.

A contract was awarded last week by the Mississippi Transportation Commission to four-lane the 5.3 mile stretch of Highway 19 in Lauderdale County from Collinsville to the Newton County line. That work is expected to begin in August and be completed in July 2011.

The $26 million contract was awarded to L&T Construction, Inc., in Hernando.

Hall said this is the first of a three-phase project. He said phase 2 of the project will go from Highway 19 at the Lauderdale-Newton County line to State Route 492.

"All right-of-way acquistition and utility relocation is already done for phase 2," Hall said. "We hope to begin construction in June of '09."

The estimated cost for the second phase of the project is $50.8 million.

The third phase of the project would continue from State Route 492 to Philadelphia at an estimated cost of $56 million.

Hall also hopes work can begin this fall on the first phase of an interchange at Hawkins Crossing in Meridian that would lead to the Interstate 20/59 Industrial Park.

He said work would begin on U.S. 80 to Interstate 20/59 on the north end, and would cost an estimated $6 million.

Mississippi 19 to Interstate 20/59 on the south end would be the second phase at an estimated cost of $9 million.

The third phase would tie the routes together with Interstate 20/59 at an estimated cost of $15.8 million.