The City of Meridian is looking to get the ball rolling quickly on a project to replace the 34th Street bridge over Gallagher Creek.

The bridge has been on the city’s list of projects since it was closed in 2017, leaving 32nd Avenue as the only entry point to the Meridian Activity Center.

In an recent work session, City Councilmen Dwayne Davis and Joseph Norwood heard from Engineering Plus Engineer Richmond Alexander about what the project would entail.

“I guess you’ve seen the MOA (memorandum of understanding) that was put out by the Mississippi Department of Transportation,” Alexander said. “There’s a deadline on getting that agreement back between the city and the Mississippi Department of Transportation before really any work can begin.”

The bridge replacement project is being funded through MDOT under the Emergency Road and Bridge Repair Fund. ERBR was created by the state legislature during the 2018 special session to fund road and bridge revitalization projects throughout the state.

In the 2022 legislative session, the legislature used $100 million of federal Covid-19 funds to fund more projects under the ERBR program. The City of Meridian was awarded $669,793 to do the 34th Street bridge replacement.

Lauderdale County also received ERBR funding for $1.1 million bridge project on Dale Drive.

Once the MOA is signed by both the city and MDOT, Alexander said work could begin on the design process of the project. Subject to change, he said a rough timeline would see design work complete in the first half of 2023 and the project completed by September of next year.

“We are looking at having a design completed, with the environmental and everything else completed, first quarter, possibly second quarter, of next year,” he said. “And our schedule is to be able to bid that out and have construction completed hopefully before September of next year.”