The Martin Bluff Road widening project remains on track financially but faces a short schedule extension pending state approval, city and contractor representatives told the Gautier City Council on July 15.
Project engineer Fred Overstreet of Michael Baker said the project began with an "approximately $7,500,000 budget" and "our total project budget right now is $8,700,000." He told the council the team expects the work "to be within budget as of today." Overstreet said the contract originally allowed 208 working days and that the contractor has used about 584 of 585 working days on file; a 43‑day supplemental agreement is with the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) for approval. "We've got a supplemental agreement for 43 additional days to make up for that time. That is currently with DOT," Overstreet said.
The nut graf: Council members and the project engineer emphasized the difference between calendar days and working days, and that weather and unexpected site conditions — including one instance of "bad material in front of Cambridge Church" — have driven the need for supplemental time. The council pressed for clearer communication to residents about remaining work and safety around school traffic.
Council members asked questions about outstanding work and site maintenance. Overstreet said five drainage boxes are being completed and that major paving items could be finished in about a month based on the contractor's latest schedule, with punch‑list work possibly running into September and October. He estimated there were "about 63 working days left on it" in the contract after the pending supplemental days are added, but cautioned that working days cannot be converted directly to calendar completion dates because the contract counts only days when the contractor can perform pay‑item work.
Council members and residents raised safety and cleanliness concerns. Councilman Fuller pressed the project team to keep the site tidy and asked that the city and engineer notify staff immediately when problems emerge. "I want y'all to call Miss Yancey within 24 hours," Fuller said, asking for faster communication to the city manager's office. Council members also asked how the project will accommodate the Martin Bluff Elementary school start (noted as July 23) and bus traffic; Overstreet said the contractor will avoid major work during peak school pickup and drop‑off hours.
Several council members asked about weather delays. Overstreet said heavy rain earlier in the month caused frequent lost working days: "We've had 5 or 6 rain events just this month... This site... it holds water." He said that, despite rain, project staff are negotiating quantities and expect the project to finish near budget "as of today." Overstreet also said the contractor may request additional days for extra quantities of work that become necessary during construction; he estimated another 20 days as an informal guess.
Ending: The council did not take action on the project at the meeting. Overstreet said the 43‑day supplemental agreement was awaiting MDOT signoff and that the contractor and engineer will sign the document before it returns to the city. Council members asked staff to keep the public informed and to coordinate with school traffic plans as work continues.