STARKVILLE – The Highway 182 revitalization project is nearly halfway complete.
Chris Williams, associate city engineer, said the project has used about 207 of the 450 contracted working days, putting it roughly 46% complete in terms of schedule.
The work should be completed by June 2027, he said, barring any major weather delays.
“It will be early 2027,” Williams told aldermen during the regular meeting on Tuesday. “It will probably be springtime. Like I said, it’s a work day project, so if we have a monsoon that lasts a month, it drags out for that portion.”
The project, which runs about one mile between Old West Point Road and Long Street, broke ground in fall 2024 with plans to reduce the road to two lanes divided by landscaped medians, add pedestrian and bike lanes to each side of the street and install new underground utilities, among other things.
On the funding side, Williams said about 44% is financially complete, with roughly $16.3 million spent so far of an estimated $41.2 million in expenses. Along with the original $36.3 million contract awarded to Burns Dirt, the total includes two change orders totaling about $623,000 and about $3.5 million for construction engineering and inspection.
That leaves about $1.4 million for unknown contingencies, Williams said, like replacing unsuitable soils found under the roadway or adjusting unexpected utility lines.
The project is being paid for by a combination of federal, state and local funds, including a $20 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant, a $12.6 million Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development grant and $10.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding and state match devoted to the project’s water, sewage and drainage improvements.
The revitalization seeks to improve infrastructure, spur economic development in the corridor and also enhance overall beautification.
“So this is really trying to reclaim a highway and turn it into a city street,” Williams said.
Among the completed work, Williams said new water lines and significant drainage infrastructure has been installed in parts of the corridor as well as foundations for new electrical transmission and distribution poles. Crews have also partially completed asphalt paving along the corridor, installed a new traffic signal at the School Street and Long Street intersections and started sidewalk construction in multiple sections.
Williams said next steps for the project include ongoing utility work around the North Jackson Street intersection, completing sewer line installations and infrastructure at the Dr. Douglas L. Conner Drive intersection and finalizing landscaping, among other things.
Vice Mayor and Ward 6 Alderman Roy A. Perkins commended the engineering department for work done on the project as well as Mayor Lynn Spruill for her efforts in securing funding.
“We believe in this project. … This project is a transformation of the city. This project will long live and long (outlast) our lifetime,” Perkins said before adding the need to erect a plaque once the project is completed to commend everyone involved in bringing the project to fruition.
Changes to proposed towing ordinance
The board held the third public hearing for a proposed ordinance seeking to curb “predatory” towing practices in the city but again did not vote on it. The ordinance, if passed, would cap towing fees at $250, limit storage fees to $45 per day, require companies to maintain standard hours for releasing vehicles and require signage in private parking lots where towing is enforced.
Changes have been made to the draft ordinance since it was first proposed in October, including lowering required sign sizes, capping after-hours release charges at the daily storage rate and exempting smaller properties from sign requirements.
Spruill said she received additional recommendations Tuesday from someone working on a towing ordinance for the city of Jackson.
“They were more technical (recommendations) than anything,” Spruill told The Dispatch after the meeting. “It had to do with weight, like 7,500 pounds versus 15,000 pounds, insurance amounts and that sort of thing. So it wasn’t anything that was particularly exciting, but it had technical aspects that I thought were appropriate for us to weigh in on.”
Those additions will be made to the draft before the fourth public hearing, Spruill said, for aldermen and citizens to review before the next public hearing.
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
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