A joint project between the City of Meridian and Lauderdale County to replace a bridge on Royal Road kicked off Wednesday.

In a news release, Meridian Public Works Director David Hodge encouraged drivers to take an alternate route as work to build a new bridge over Gallagher Creek begins.

The bridge project is a joint effort between the City of Meridian and Lauderdale County using part of the county’s allotment of Local System Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation Program funds. LSBP funds are given to counties through the Mississippi Office of State Aid Road Construction but are not allocated to municipalities.

Hodge previously told council members the county’s LSBP funds should cover the cost of the project, and the city was not expected to have to pay for any of the construction costs.

In its October 3 meeting, the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors awarded the contract for the project to Joe McGee Construction for a total of $461,904.90, which was higher than the initial estimate of $370,000 Hodge gave to the city council in August.

In it’s August 2 meeting, Hodge told the board the project was expected to take up to a year, but the county would be leading the construction effort. Once the bridge is complete, he said, the city will come in and pave.

The cost for paving, Hodge said, would likely run about $5,000.