MDOT Plans HWY 49 Asphalt Work

Aug. 2, 2023

Source: Rankin County News by Charles Bailey

RANKIN - Additional asphalt work is planned for a significant stretch of US HWY 49, after an extensive project to widen the thoroughfare from four to six lanes was completed in August of 2022.

That 7.5-mile, $253 million project was launched in 2017. The work began in Richland and ended just south of State Route 469 in Florence.

Central District Transportation Commissioner Willie Simmons addressed Rankin County supervisors in December of 2022 and said more work was planned.

“There is a project that is expected to be let in the next month or so that will provide pavement rehab to US HWY 49 from the Simpson County line to Florence.” Said Mississippi Department of Transportation Public Information Officer Michael Flood.

During the December 2022 meeting, Simmons told Rankin Supervisors that $15 million had, at that point, been set aside for the additional work.

Meanwhile, Flood provided updates on a couple of Rankin County projects, including the demolition and reconstruction of a bridge on State Route 18 and efforts to overlay a significant portion of State Route 468.

“The State Route 18 project is making great progress,” he said. “Crews plan on pouring the bridge deck later this week. (It is) still on track to be completed by the end of the year.”

An 11-mile stretch of State Route 468 in Rankin County, from Deeb Street to Highway 80, was recently milled and overlaid.

“The scope of work also includes repairing failed areas, upgrading traffic signal detection radar and upgrading any deficient guardrail,” Flood said.

“The nearly $8 million contract is with Superior Asphalt. Current construction operations are grinding areas for smoothness and placing permanent thermoplastic striping. All paving is complete.”