A new building for the Lauderdale County Road Department is under construction along Windmill Drive.

Multiple projects throughout the county are moving forward as dry summer weather allows plenty of opportunities for construction work.

A $3 million maintenance facility for the Lauderdale County Road Department is taking shape near Highway 39 and Windmill Drive, with J&J Contractors hired to do the work. The project was bid out and awarded earlier this year with supervisors planning to use part of the county’s American Rescue Plan Act funds to cover the cost.

The purpose of the new facility is to consolidate some of the county’s resources at a central location and make it easier for the road department to respond when needed.

Pine Springs

A project to address two bridges along Pine Springs Road is also moving forward with the county receiving $1.6 million from the state Emergency Road and Bridge Repair program to fund the work. The project calls for one bridge to be replaced by a double-barrel box culvert, while the other bridge will be removed entirely.

Road Manager Rush Mayatt told supervisors on Aug. 17 that the project would likely have to wait until fall. Before work can begin, a Mississippi Power transmission line needs to be relocated, which will require a scheduled power outage.

Due to the extreme heat experienced throughout the Southeast, the power demand from air conditioning and other cooling measures is just too high to schedule a shutdown right now, Mayatt said. The county will likely have to wait until temperatures fall and demand lessens this fall.

In the meantime, he said his goal is to get all of the planning and paperwork out of the way so the project can move forward once the utility is moved.

Lizelia Road

Another two bridges along Lizelia Road are also in the works to be replaced. The Board of Supervisors on Monday moved forward with advertising the project for contractors to bid on. Advertising windows typically last about 30 days after which the county will review the bids and recommend a winner.

The Lizelia project is also being funded from the county’s pool of ARPA dollars.

Murphy Road

The county is continuing to work through acquiring the necessary rights-of-way for a bridge project on Murphy Road. The bridge was closed in October 2022 and will have to be replaced before the road can be reopened.

Dale Drive

Work began last week on a bridge replacement project along Dale Drive in Marion. The $1.3 million project will include the removal of the old bridge and construction of a new, three-lane bridge just south of the Hamasa Temple Shrine.

Joe McGee Construction, which was awarded the project, began demolition on Wednesday. Work is expected to be complete within 90 working days, and officials hope to have the bridge reopened sometime in November.

Government Complex

Construction of the new $50 million county government complex along 22nd Avenue is also moving forward with a tentative completion date as soon as next month.

Supervisors, on Aug. 21, approved a $127,484 change order to Davidson Hauling & Construction Inc., which is building the entry boulevard connecting the courthouse site to 22nd Avenue. The change order was part of a redesign needed to comply with city codes.

Numerous other road and bridge projects are also in progress throughout the county, Mayatt said, with the Board of Supervisors approving more than $10 million worth of work this year.