Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

NATCHEZ — District 5 Supervisor Warren Gaines announced at the meeting of the Adams County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that construction on the long-awaited Morgantown Road drainage and road repair project will tentatively begin on Oct. 1.

“We had a pre-construction meeting with the contractors on Aug. 26, and if everything goes as expected, they should be able to get started on Oct. 1,” Gaines said.

Working with the City of Natchez, Adams County officials are confident they have funding to complete the Morgantown Road project.

Phase two of the project, which primarily addresses drainage issues and the overlay of Red Loop Road to Dixie Road on Morgantown, will be the first part of the construction project. It will be followed closely by what was originally Phase One of the project, from Dixie to the CVS store in Morgantown. Officials have said the drainage issues must be addressed before the roadway can be repaired and repaved.

“It feels great that this is going to be done,” Gaines said after Tuesday’s board meeting. “It feels great to be able to serve constituents who have been suffering for 22 years. It feels great that we will get it done during this administration.”

County and city officials have warned residents of Morgantown Road that they will feel frustrated during the construction and asked for their patience. However, officials have said they will make every effort to make the work as painless as possible for the thousands who drive Morgantown Road daily.

Since the federal government earmarked $2.4 million for the project, the project has suffered a number of delays. Construction costs have nearly doubled. Also, when the project was put out for bid, it twice exceeded the 10 percent overage of the estimate and had to be rebid. The project is now expected to cost $4.2 million.

Dozier Construction is the contractor on the project.