MDOT: I‑55 preconstruction to finish by year-end; Highway 51 bridges, county work to continue

Brad, director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, told the Madison County Board of Supervisors that the preconstruction phase for the I‑55 project between Madison and Gluckstadt should be completed by the end of this calendar year and that MDOT could "start advertising that project this November, maybe in January" if the construction dollars are available.

The project would include the new interchange and other capacity work. "We expect to have all of the pre construction phase of that project completed by the end of this calendar year," Brad said. He described preconstruction as the work that moves utilities, acquires right of way, completes surveys and design and produces the documentation federal regulators require before a contract to build can be advertised and awarded.

Why it matters: Completing preconstruction readies the project for bidding and construction once funding is secured; those construction dollars still depend on a future legislative action, MDOT said. Brad said MDOT had previously received about $1 billion in one‑time legislative funding to advance large projects statewide and that the I‑55 project and a Highway 25 project in Rankin County were next on MDOT’s list. "If everything goes according to plan, we should be able, provided that the construction dollars was there for funding it to build it, [to] start advertising that project this November, maybe in January," he said.

MDOT and the legislature: Brad said the department left the recent legislative session with a "good clean budget" but that a separate projects bill stalled because the House and Senate could not agree on the list of special projects. He said the disagreement was over whether to fund many member projects (the House's approach) or concentrate funds on state projects (the Senate's approach). "At the end of the day, no agreement could be reached, so no legislation of that kind was drafted," Brad said. He added he expects renewed interest in funding the projects in the coming session.

Local investments and near-term work: Brad listed work MDOT has recently done or contracted in Madison County: about $15 million invested in maintenance over the past two years, roughly $20 million currently under contract around the county, and about $35 million in smaller program projects planned for the next year. He told supervisors those program projects are smaller than an interstate job but will mean visible construction: "the folks of Madison County are going to see a lot of orange barrels around, which means progress."

Bridges on Highway 51: Brad identified four bridges on Highway 51 that qualified for bridge‑repair funds. He said two of those bridges are currently closed and two remain open; MDOT intends to work on the remaining ones after completing current work and negotiating access with landowners. "We have two that are closed now. The other two remain open. But there's two others that we plan to work on," he said, adding that MDOT is negotiating with landowners to ensure access during construction and to limit the disruption.

On temporary or alternate bridges: Brad said building temporary alternate bridges is sometimes not financially feasible. He cited a recent incident on the Pearl River at the Simpson/Kapiah county line where severe damage required the bridge to be closed for months; by the time a temporary structure could be set up, repairs would have been completed and the cost would not have been justifiable.

Contracts and incentives: Brad said MDOT is restructuring contracts to add financial incentives for contractors to finish early and penalties for avoidable delays. He said the approach aims to reduce time under construction and the inconvenience to local drivers while holding contractors accountable for unjustified slippage.

What MDOT asked for and next steps: MDOT officials said most preconstruction work for I‑55 has been funded by the commission and that the department is seeking the lump sum construction funding from the legislature. If the department can present federal and state officials with documentation showing right of way clearance, completed utility relocation, and a finished design, it would be in position to receive the green light and advertise for construction.

Supervisors and county officials thanked MDOT for the work and encouraged the agency to try to limit disruptions for local residents. MDOT said it will continue landowner discussions before closing additional bridges and will report back to the county when agreements are finished.

Ending: MDOT reiterated the schedule: finish preconstruction this calendar year and be ready to advertise if construction funding is provided; bridge repairs and smaller county projects will continue next year, with MDOT seeking to minimize disruption while moving ahead with repairs that officials say are necessary for safety and system preservation.