NATCHEZ, Miss. – The city’s street pavement project could begin in July after Natchez aldermen Tuesday approved a $5.1 million proposal from the company selected to do the work.
Aldermen have a list of 45 streets in need of new surfaces that starts with Cemetery Road and goes on to include sections of Brenham Avenue, Liberty Road, Margaret Avenue, Melrose-Montebello Parkway, North Rankin, Auburn, Fatherland, Arlington, Jefferson Davis and more.
AJ Construction of Pearl was the lowest of two bids submitted on Tuesday. The street-overlay project originally had been expected to start this spring, but that was stalled after city officials had to seek new proposals from roadbuilders after the one bid submitted in March was about $3 million more than what was budgeted.
The board also originally had parts of 75 streets on its repaving list, but that had to be whittled down to 45 to fit within the budget.
The mayor and aldermen were told Tuesday the contractor could start resurfacing streets next month. The timetable has the work being completed next April after a pause during the winter-weather season. The $5 million project is being paid for through bonds the Board of Aldermen sold to investors in 2022 to generate the revenues.
Considered the largest Natchez street-overlay project in years, it will be concentrated on the roughest residential streets in Natchez. Natchez has an inventory of 480 streets.
Previous city street repavement projects in recent years were in 2019 and 2018, when the Board of Aldermen allocated about $490,000 from revenues Natchez receives from leasing city-owned land to Magnolia Bluffs Casino.
For a separate project, Mayor Dan Gibson expressed confidence Tuesday work can also begin this summer to upgrade Morgantown Road even though more money is needed after contractors’ bidded costs exceed the $4.8 million that’s available. Gibson said efforts will be made to get more federal and state funds to reach the needed amount to widen the much-traveled thoroughfare and to correct drainage problems.
Natchez and Adams County officials have cobbled together funds to enhance Morgantown Road that include $2.4 million appropriated by the U.S. Congress last year for road construction and nearly $900,000 in federal funds distributed by the state Department of Environmental Quality for drainage improvements. However, contractors’ bidded costs are $1.5 million over the budget, according to reports provided to the city and county boards.
Gibson said he’s met recently with Mississippi’s two U.S. senators and others in Washington to discuss the need for more funds, and efforts are underway “to allow us to break ground this summer” on the Morgantown Road project.
In another street project, city officials continue to prepare for elevating the flood-prone Silver Street along the Mississippi River. Gibson said contractors will be asked soon to submit bids on how much it’ll cost. The city has for this about $2 million from state and federal sources along with $500,000 from cruise companies that dock in Natchez.
Plans are in the works for a shuttle service to take visitors to and from the impacted Natchez Under-the-Hill businesses when parking will be banned during construction. The mayor said Under-the-Hill patrons will be able to park in the lot by the old Broadway Street train depot and ride on Natchez Transit System vehicles. It has 36 buses and vans of various sizes.
Comments