I-20 overpass at Russell to close March 20

Published 11:45 am Monday, March 9, 2026

Workers stage signage at the Interstate 20/59 overpass at Russell on Saturday in preparation for the bridge to close for repair work March 20. Photo by Thomas Howard

Drivers traveling through eastern Lauderdale County will need to make adjustments for fuel and food as the Interstate 20/59 overpass at Russell is scheduled to close March 20.

Mississippi Department of Transportation’s Michael Flood said the bridge, which is on Russell Mt. Gilead Road immediately south of the TA Travel Center, is slated to be closed from 7 p.m. Friday, March 20, to 6 a.m. Monday, March 23, while MDOT crews make repairs to the bridge.

“It’s bridge repair work that entails replacing end-walls, removing and replacing bridge joints and a bridge deck overlay,” Flood said via email.

Drivers will need to plan alternate routes to reach their destinations during the closure.

Other MDOT projects in Lauderdale County are also moving forward with several improvements underway. In a March 5 update, the department announced an effort to install an Intelligent Transportation System along Interstate 20/59 is ongoing. The ITS includes cameras and messaging signs to keep an eye on traffic and alert drivers if need be.

R&W Electric Company out of Collinsville was awarded the project at a total cost of $3.7 million.

Also in progress is a project to replace eight bridges along Highway 80, with four bridges in Newton County underway. Once that work is complete, crews will begin work on four bridges in Lauderdale County.

The contract, which was awarded to Laurel-based Cotton Creek Transport Inc. for $88 million, also includes five bridges on Highway 51 in Madison County.