NATCHEZ &045;&045; Work on a new interchange at Liberty Road and Seargent S. Prentiss Drive should start by early summer, according to a Mississippi Department of Transportation official.

District Engineer Darrell Broome said a few more rights-of-way must be acquired, and City Engineer David Gardner said water and sewer relocation is still being done for the project.

&uot;We anticipate letting the contract by the end of spring, … with construction starting in late spring or early summer,&uot; Broome said.

The project will involve replacement of the aging, deteriorating bridge over Liberty Road and construction of a partial cloverleaf with turnoffs on Seargent S. Prentiss Drive.

The project has received more headlines since an October 2002 hearing on three design alternatives, with nearby businesses voicing concerns about displacement of, and disruption of access to, their stores. The current design was chosen to disrupt fewer businesses.

But the project has actually been in the planning stages for about six years.

&uot;There have been no significant delays &045;&045; it just takes time to go through the process of drawing up plans and getting rights-of-way,&uot; Broome said. &uot;But everyone there has been really cooperative with us.&uot;

Because a grand opening will be held in May for the nearby Natchez Trace Extension MDOT wants to speed the Liberty Road interchange project as much as possible, Broome has said, to better handle increased traffic.