Repaving of city streets will be the first of the projects planned for Vicksburg as part of bonds issued last week.

“We have the money in place, and our plans are done,” said Garnet Van Norman, city engineer. “We have an overall list of streets we can (pave) for the amount of money we have.”

In a Monday meeting, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen authorized the city clerk to advertise sealed bids for the first phase of that project, which will begin with streets in the central business district, said Mayor Laurence Leyens. In phases, more streets will be paved and there will be other various improvements, including sidewalks and street lights in the Oak Street corridor, will be part of the project.

Van Norman said once a contract is signed, the repaving will begin on Cherry Street and north to Jackson Street. Workers will, then, pave south to South Street and Levee Street. “Then we’ll do contracts to pave streets in North Vicksburg and, then, South Vicksburg,” he said.

Total funding for the paving and improvements will be about $7.3 million, with close to $600,000 of that to be spent on the Oak Street improvements. It is a portion of the $16.9 million bond issue.

The remainder of the bond funds are earmarked to include $5 million for the replacement of the Washington Street rail overpass at Clark Street and about $4.1 million to pay for the first phase of a recreation complex off Fisher Ferry Road. If the private, local Aquila Group is successful in bringing a multimillion-dollar sports complex to the current Halls Ferry Park and Bazinsky Field, the city will look to sell the land on Fisher Ferry, city officials have said.

The city voted in August to borrow the general obligation bonds from Duncan Williams Inc., of Memphis. The $16.9 million will be paid back with an interest rate of 4.13 percent per year.

The funds make up the second major bond issue of Leyens’ administration. In 2002, the city borrowed $18.2 million for a makeover of the downtown area, along with several other projects.

The city will also begin advertising for a separate street project that will improve traffic flow along North Washington Street from the harbor area to U.S. 61 North, the board announced. That project will be paid for by the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, Leyens said. He also said the widening will benefit residents of Kings.

“This is for the Kings community — we’re finally able to pave,” he said. “It’s needed it for a long time.”

Van Norman said the city has already contracted with ABMB Engineers to build an overlay from Haining Boulevard at the Port of Vicksburg north to U.S. 61.

“That street’s in bad shape. It’s also our truck route — where the truck traffic comes into Vicksburg,” he said.