Contracts for two street projects, including the long-awaited widening of Clay and Mission 66, were awarded Friday by Vicksburg officials.

The other contract is for the North Washington Street Improvement Project.

Vicksburg officials have been working on widening the intersection of Clay and Mission 66 for several years, but delays in obtaining rights-of-way stalled the project. The city had to use its eminent domain powers to get some of the small parcels needed for the widening.

The contract for Clay and Mission was awarded to the low bidder, J.B. Talley Inc. of St. Martinville, La., for $486,789.57.

“We have wanted to do this project for a long time, but it has been slowed down by getting the easements,” said Mayor Robert Walker.

The contract to repave part of North Washington Street was awarded to APAC of Mississippi for $1,198,136.80.

In other action, the board:

Approved a request from Fire Chief Kevin Westbrook to allow the 911 Commission to use an unused room at the old No. 8 Fire Station on Halls Ferry Road for an alternate dispatch center in case the center in the Warren County Courthouse has to shut down.

Approved a budget modification in the S.T.E.P. budget to allow $400 to be used to buy child restraint seats and booster seats.

Declared a 1999 Chevrolet Caprice surplus so it can be sold at auction.

Authorized the mayor to execute a maintenance agreement for the fingerprint identification system used by the Vicksburg Police Department.

Authorized the mayor to execute an agreement that will result in closing the unused Riverside lagoon.

Adopted a resolution allowing the city to reimburse Warren County for installing a gas line when it installs a sewer line for River Region Health System’s new hospital off U.S. 61 North.

Authorized the city clerk to advertise for tree cutting.

Went into executive session to take up two personnel matters for the fire department and discuss pending litigation.

Later, the mayor said the board voted to uphold a fire department suspension, continued the second personnel matter and took no action on the litigation matter.