Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) officials are finalizing plans to repair several steel girders on the westbound U.S. 80 bridge over the KCS railroad between Marquette Rd. and Interstate 20 in Brandon.
Officials closed the inside lane of the bridge after discovering rusted steel girders during a recent bridge inspection. This repair process, from the design and fabrication to the installation, is expected to last approximately one month.
“Although the bridge is safe for travel, the inside westbound lane of the bridge is currently closed as a precautionary measure to reduce the load on the structure while allowing our crews to assess, design and complete the repair,” said Mississippi Transportation Commission Chairman Willie Simmons. “Rest assured, we are working to expedite this process and get the lane reopened as quickly as possible. We are also evaluating signal timings along the U.S. 80 corridor to minimize potential delays.”
Both the eastbound and westbound U.S. 80 bridges are scheduled to be let for replacement in late 2024 with work beginning spring 2025. The westbound U.S. 80 bridge was built in 1938, and the adjacent U.S. 80 eastbound concrete bridge was built in 1966. The U.S. 80 eastbound concrete bridge will not be impacted by the repair currently underway.
“Once the steel plates are fabricated and shipped, the repair process itself will not take long,” said Simmons. “Until then, please be patient, slow down and watch out for roadside crews at or near the bridge. Let’s give them the space to safely complete this critical work as quickly as possible.”
Officials anticipate reopening the inside lane of U.S. 80 westbound by early June 2024.
The public can stay updated on this project and others at MDOTtraffic.com, by downloading the MDOT Traffic mobile app and following @MississippiDOT on Facebook and X.