Contract awarded for repairs to damaged section of U.S. 80

Published 3:40 pm Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Repairs are expected to begin soon on a damaged section of U.S. 80, a Mississippi Department of Transportation spokesman said.

MDOT spokesman Mike Flood said Mississippi Transportation commissioners have awarded a $339,787.50 contract to Theobald Construction Services LLC of Vicksburg to repair the section of the highway that was damaged by heavy rains in January and February.

He said representatives for the contractor and MDOT recently held a pre-construction conference on the project. He said no specific start date has been set, but the contractor wants to begin work “as soon as possible.”

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Flood said the project is expected to be completed by mid-August, depending on conditions.

The Warren County Board of Supervisors learned the contract was awarded during a conference call Monday with county engineer Keith O’Keefe of Neel –Shaffer Engineers.

State officials on Feb. 11 closed the section of the major thoroughfare between the cement plant and Mount Alban Road after problems with the road caused by runoff from heavy rains eroded the highway’s shoulder and caused the roadway to fail, making it unsafe to travel.

This is not the first problem to hit the highway.

In 2016, erosion caused by two days of heavy rains forced state officials to shut down both lanes of a section of U.S. 80 at Thornhill Road to repair a washout that removed dirt from under the highway’s westbound lane.

About John Surratt

John Surratt is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in general studies. He has worked as an editor, reporter and photographer for newspapers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post staff since 2011 and covers city government. He and his wife attend St. Paul Catholic Church and he is a member of the Port City Kiwanis Club.

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