The possibility of quiet nights in the vicinity of Speed and Klein streets is just around the corner.

A unanimous vote approved a bid and contract for asphalt paving and fencing for the Klein Street Extension project to Riverside Construction of Vicksburg at the Board of Mayor and Alderman Friday. The amount approved for the contract was $96,625.

“We are providing another access out,” public works director Garnet Van Norman said. “The people who live in the area can go out on Pearl Street or go out on Speed Street. In order to have a quiet zone through the city we need to close Speed Street.”

City Attorney Nancy Thomas said in a previous meeting, the road will give residents living on the west side of Pearl Street across the tracks an alternate route in case the street is blocked.

There were two bids received for the project. Garnet Van Norman recommended the contract be awarded to Riverside Construction over Central Asphalt because they had the lowest bid.

Riverside realigned the storm sewer line through Washington Street years ago and he was familiar with their work.

Central Asphalt bid $98,050 for the project. Both bids were under the estimated cost of the project.

The railroad crossing is in an area where several bed-and-breakfasts are located,  and owners have complained about the noise of the trains reaching the crossing.

City officials have discussed closing the Speed Street crossing since 2003.

It has been deemed a safety hazard by the city, because emergency vehicles have problems negotiating the crossing to get to calls on the west side.

The residents on both sides of the tracks gave their opinions on the crossing in an October 2014 public hearing on the board’s plans to close it.

Van Norman said this is a group effort between the city of Vicksburg and the railroad companies, Kansas City Southern Railroad and Meridian Speedway LLC. Once work is completed, the railroad can move on to closing the Speed Street crossing.

“We have to get the road complete before we can close the Speed Street crossing,” Van Norman said.