Bridge span placed on Pearl-Richland connector bridge

Jun. 22, 2023

Source: Rankin County News

PEARL- The Pearl-Richland Intermodal Connector project, which involves construction of a bridge over the Kansas City Southern railroad tracks at South Pearson Road, took a major step forward last week when the two bridge spans were put in place.

For years, the KCS RR crossing at South Pearson Road has posed a problem for motorists traveling north or south on South Pearson because KCS frequently blocked the crossing for long periods of time as railroad workers connected cars at their switching yard just west of the crossing.

Pearl Mayor Jake Windham heralded the progress made.

“The placement if the two bridge spans across the railroad tracks on South Pearson Road was an absolute engineering wonder,” he stated. “Our social media platforms showed we had engineers from all over the world watching this project.

“Credit to Rick Ferguson, Project Manager and Senior Bridge Engineer of Pickering, our engineering firm, for choosing this two-span design that not only saved money and allowed the project to move forward, but also provided the same benefit as a three-bridge span.

“This project was initially started in 2004 and thanks to federal funding, and support from the Mississippi Legislature and Rankin County delegation, we will see this completed in the next year. When completed, this bridge will provide better public safety, allowing first responders to travel South Pearson Road without having to stop for a train. The roadway expansion will also provide another north-south option to move traffic through the county, something we have desperately needed for a long time.”

Ferguson thanked those who made this step in the project possible.

“Months of submittals and preparation went into such a complex lift,” Ferguson said. “Thank you to all of you involved that made this a tremendous success.”