Thomas Howard / The Meridian StarWorkers with Custom Paving Inc., out of Lake, work to lay asphalt Friday on Will Garrett Road as a bridge replacement project nears completion.

Residents may soon be able to drive along Will Garrett Road as contractors work to wrap up a bridge replacement project in the next several weeks.

In a work session Thursday, Road Manager Rush Mayatt said workers with McGee Construction were scheduled to pave the road Thursday and Friday.

“The plan is to pave today, tomorrow,” he said. “Next week, Monday, they’ll start doing shoulder work and some touch up things that they’ve got to do.”

Mayatt said guard rails were set to be installed Wednesday, and Friday was striping. If all goes according to plan, he said the road could be open the end of next week.

Will Garrett Road was closed Feb. 21 to allow contractors to tie the existing road into a new bridge and bridge approach. At the time, the project was estimated to take 4-6 weeks.

Since the closure, the project has suffered multiple weather delays with rain and severe weather soaking the soil and forcing contractors to wait until it dries.

County engineer Richmond Alexander said the plan to complete the project was good and hopefully would go off without further problems.

“It’s a good, realistic plan,” he said.

In other bridge projects, Mayatt said contractors have demolished the bridge and are getting ready to begin construction of a box culvert on Lizelia Road.

On Buntin Gunn Road, he said the bottom of the box culvert was set to be poured Thursday or Friday. That contractor has also had issues with water, he said, but was able to find a solution.

“That should go pretty quickly,” he said.

Alexander said the bridge project on Meehan Savoy Road is also moving forward with the contractor getting ready to pave next week.