Progress toward building a bridge across the Yazoo River has come at a price for some Redwood residents, some of whom can’t wait for the dust to start flying at the work site and not at their front doorsteps.

&#8220We’ve called people for seven months,” said Robert Thomas, looking at thin layers of dust covering vehicles in front of other homes in his Redwood Road neighborhood. &#8220We’ve asked and asked and asked the contractors and the (county) supervisors to do something about it.”

What Thomas and his neighbors are up in arms about is the dust flying from a massive hill on property acquired by the Mississippi Department of Transportation. Dirt is being moved from the quickly vanishing hillside to supply a foundation for a $32.7 million bridge to replace the current bridge, built in 1950.

But crews subcontracting under Key Constructors of Madison have not always followed county directives to spray approaches to the work site and the roadsides with water.

Warren County code enforcement officer Kenny Channell monitored the situation from across the two-lane highway Monday, but residents said that is a product of seven months of calls to local and state officials.

&#8220I’ve called everybody you can think of,” Thomas said.

Carl Middleton, assistant engineer for construction projects with MDOT’s District 3 office in Yazoo City, said the job of keeping work sites safe for surrounding populations is up to the contractor.

&#8220It’s their responsibility,” Middleton said, adding that MDOT usually assigns inspectors to monitor each project.

District 1 Supervisor David McDonald, up for re-election this year against three challengers, said the roadsides and site entrance must be sprayed with water every hour as trucks haul dirt away.

&#8220They have to do that now to keep the dust down,” he said.

Placing gravel on the approaches would compound the problem, McDonald said, but he added that if crews heed the county’s orders, it would go a long way in minimizing the dust that has altered the daily lives, and in some cases, the health, of residents.

&#8220We all like to grill. But I haven’t grilled outside in months,” said Thomas, who has seen dust inside his home as well as outside. &#8220It costs about $1.50 to go somewhere and rinse off our car anyway. I’m not going to do that every day.”

Thomas’ 8-year-old daughter, Carol, must stay inside to play due to the fine, dusty loess soil blowing across properties since construction began in September. &#8220She’s mad at me right now because I just won’t let her out here.”

Amanda Jordan, whose parents own the trailer park on Redwood Road, and her husband, Roy, blame the dust for intensifying breathing problems for their son, Tyler, 2, who has asthma.

&#8220The doctor told us if the dust is that bad, he can’t come outside,” she said.

&#8220This is insane,” Roy Jordan said, adding their repeated calls have gotten mixed results at best until recently when Warren County officials got involved.

That call to a Warren County sheriff’s deputy halted work at the site for a time, but soon the dust returned. Another call got less favorable results.

&#8220When I called the subcontractor, he cussed me and hung up,” Amanda Jordan said.

Louanna Barnett describes the problem as a &#8220wall of dust” that roars toward hers and the Jordans’ and Thomas’ trailers.

&#8220When it rains, that’s when they use the water truck,” she said, adding children in the trailer park who attend Redwood Elementary are especially at risk since the bus stop is located at the foot of her driveway.

&#8220The bus driver can’t even see to tell those kids to cross the highway,” she said.

As for the work, MDOT has told county officials another 80,000 yards of dirt must be moved for the roadbed foundation on the river’s north side.

&#8220They’ve said it should only be another month,” Channell said.

A June 2009 completion date on the bridge is still in place, said MDOT engineer Jeff Curtis, a project manager on the bridge construction.