It appears the eyesore that is the collapsed drainage culvert near the IHOP Restaurant on North Frontage Road is a little closer to being permanently repaired.

At Tuesday’s Meridian City Council meeting, the body approved a resolution to enter into a design agreement with Flagler Engineering, which will do conceptual planning for the project.  

The drainage culvert collapsed on the evening of Nov. 7, 2015, and included much of the restaurant parking lot. At least 14 vehicles were swallowed up in the collapse. City officials blamed the collapse on the failure of a storm water drainage pipe, 18-feet-deep and 27-feet-wide that runs the length of the parking lot. 

The city was recently awarded a $4.3 million grant from the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). Meridian Chief Administrative Officer Richie McAlister said city officials and engineers are scheduled to meet with NRCS officials Monday in Jackson to discuss the next steps and options.

“We want to thank Sen. Thad Cochran and his staff. They were instrumental in helping this city acquire federal funding for this project,” McAlister said. “Waggoner Engineering will help develop hydrology and hydraulic analysis for a proposed long-term structure and will be coordinating with regulatory agencies.”

The city hired Waggoner Engineering to shore up the culvert after the collapse and guided the city through the emergency repairs to the culvert.

After Monday’s pre-design conference in Jackson, the next phase is to draw up designs and blueprints, followed by the city bidding out the work. McAlister said a contractor would more than likely begin work on the culvert in early 2017. The city has until April 2017 to finish the grant.

The collapse ruptured a water main and sewer line, shutting off the water supply to several nearby restaurants and hotels, including the Holiday Inn.