Paving projects in the city’s South Ward are expected to begin the first week in November, South Ward Alderman Willis Thompson said Friday.

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen Friday gave Vicksburg contractor Central Asphalt a notice to proceed with the project to pave seven streets in the South Ward. Central Asphalt was the low bidder for the project for $995,850.27.

The paving project is part of a two-phase, $4.6 million project to repair and resurface streets in the North and South wards. Each ward is receiving $2.3 million, or $1.15 million per phase each, for paving.

Bids for the North Ward paving project were received earlier this month and the board is expected to award a bid in November.

“We’re going to start with Warrenton Road and pave the entire road,” Thompson said. “Warrenton is probably the worst road in the South Ward. It’s heavily traveled and a lot of big trucks drive over it.”

The road, which runs from Interstate 20 south to U.S. 61 South, is the access road for the Riverwalk and Lady Luck Casinos. It has been repaired several times over the past few years to repair damage from 18-wheelers traveling the road.

The board in April approved a $96,224 contract with Central Asphalt after declaring an emergency to fix the sunken sections on the northern and southern ends of the road.

Eight streets in the South Ward were initially designated for paving: Warrenton Road, Halls Ferry Road, Cypress Centre Boulevard, Fleetwood Drive, Manship Circle, Suncrest Drive, Charleston Drive and St. Charles Place.

Thompson said Cypress Centre Boulevard, which is the access road to the El Sombrero Restaurant and the Holiday Inn, will be moved to the second phase of the paving program because construction on a new hotel between the restaurant and the Holiday Inn is expected to begin shortly.

“There will be a lot of truck traffic on the street, so we’re going to wait until the construction is complete before pacing it,” he said.