Three serious erosion areas affected in Vicksburg could soon be repaired following action by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.

On Tuesday afternoon, the board at a special called meeting approved advertising for bids to repair slide areas at James E. Sturgis Sr. Street, Crestline Lane and a culvert on Crestline. City Attorney Kim Nailor said the bids will be opened at the board’s Oct. 17 meeting.

The vote to advertise the projects was 2-0; Mayor George Flaggs Jr. is attending the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative Conference in St. Louis, Mo., and therefore did not vote.

Mayor Pro Tem Alex Monsour said the projects will be funded by money from a $4 million loan city officials approved in February to begin work on the erosion projects in anticipation of receiving Federal Emergency Management Agency emergency grant funds. The grant money will be used to pay off the loan.

James E. Sturgis Sr. Street, Crestline Lane and the culvert on Crestline were among nine projects involving erosion problems from the heavy rains in January and April 2020 that were submitted to FEMA by the city for emergency grant money.

The other areas included Riverfront Park, Greenhill Drive, a culvert near the intersection of Iowa Boulevard and U.S. 61 South near McDonald’s, the City Park project to replace a damaged walking trail and fencing, Clover Lane and Farmer Street.

FEMA did not approve Clover Lane and Farmer Street for emergency funds, but the city received a $487,354 Natural Resources Conservation grant for the Famer Street and Clover Lane work, which will help cover 75 percent of the eligible engineering and construction costs. The board on Sept. 9 awarded a contract to Central Asphalt for the repairs.