A $3.8 million bid from APAC-Mississippi Inc. was the lone offer taken Tuesday to resurface about nine miles of U.S. 61 South.

The bid came in more than 21 percent more than the Mississippi Department of Transportation’s estimate for the work, but is still expected to be awarded by the second week of March, Central District Engineer Kevin Magee said.

Work is expected to begin in April to smooth out long, rain-catching ruts in the highway. Lanes will be resurfaced one side at a time from the Pemberton intersection to the Hancor plant, just north of Redbone Road. Construction is to take 89 work days, not including days of bad weather.

Similar repairs on U.S. 61 North were completed in 2008.