A major street project got underway early this week in Charleston.
The milling (scraping and grinding) of 63,680 square yards of asphalt is ongoing now, and motorists should be cautious when traveling in the work zone of West Main and Main streets and George Payne Cossar Boulevard.
Some side access streets to West Main, Main and the boulevard are being closed off to traffic through the use of orange cones.
Expect some delays as lanes of traffic are closed and two-way traffic is routed along the one open lane. Watch for flaggers who will direct motorists, and pay attention to the orange work zone signs.
In June, the Mississippi Transportation Commission awarded a nearly $1.47 million construction contract to Lehman-Roberts Company of Memphis for the overlay of approximately 3 miles of Mississippi Highway 32 within the Charleston city limits.
The project, expected to require 53 working days, encompasses the bulk of the Charleston downtown business district, including the two-lane Clay, West Main and East Main streets, the wide expanse of courthouse square and the four lanes of George Payne Cossar Boulevard.
The route shares a roadbed with Mississippi 32, making the state responsible for maintenance.
According to the Mississippi Department of Transportation, some of the items the project will require are:
» 2,050 tons of granular material
» 6,700 gallons of asphalt for a tack coat
» 7,540 tons of asphalt pavement
