Two state projects are in the works to pave U.S. 98 on the west side of Marion County and to replace the two bridges on Mississippi 198 in Columbia.
The Mississippi Transportation Commission awarded a $3.8 million contract in April to Dunn Roadbuilders of Laurel to repave 98 from Mississippi 35 at Foxworth to the Walthall County line.
MDOT spokesman Katey Roh said work on 98 is expected to start in the next couple of weeks and to wrap up by the fall. They’ll be paving about 10 miles.
The bridge project on 198 has been waiting on utility relocations, according to Roh, but is scheduled to be let for bids in May. Five companies had submitted proposals on the bridge project as of Wednesday and two others had requested plans.
The bridges, which provide the main artery from the west side of the county into downtown Columbia, were closed from January 2019 to August 2019 because of structural problems with the wooden piles. They reopened after MDOT made temporary repairs, but plans to replace the aged structures continued.
