A contractor could be picked by month’s end to shore up slippery slopes on the east side of the Mississippi River near the old U.S. 80 bridge.

Two bids from Hayward Baker, based in Alpharetta, Ga., and Dirt Works, based in Vicksburg, are under advisement by the Vicksburg Bridge Commission. Offers for Hayward and Dirt Works were $549,440 and $763,349, respectively.

The bulk of the work is to happen on bridge property around pier 2, the first large pier on the Mississippi side.

The support structure has moved 24 inches to 30 inches west since the bridge was built in 1930, according to annual inspection reports.