<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3pXtjp_19q6QNp800" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3pXtjp_19q6QNp800" width="1200" height="600" >PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) - The Mississippi Department of Transportation says many of its Pine Belt work zones are moving into different phases, and some have even reached completion.In Covington County, the intersection of Highway 49 and State Route 35 is now a much safer area and free of road crews.MDOT says thanks to a few safety improvements, Covington County will likely see fewer traffic accidents.“Several safety improvements were made as a result of this project, one of which was eliminating a few crossovers on Highway 49, and also upgrading the traffic signal at U.S. 49 and State Route 35,” said Anna Ehrgott, MDOT Spokesperson.A nearby Frontage Road was also reconstructed to accommodate commercial vehicles.With this $2.1 million project completed in Covington County, MDOT’s efforts are focused on another multimillion-dollar project: the bridge replacement on Highway 98 in Marion County.“The old eastbound bridge has been torn down, and a new bridge is almost ready to place traffic on it,” Ehrgott said. In the next one to two months, Ehrgott says MDOT anticipates opening the eastbound bridge in a head-to-head configuration before shifting focus to the westbound bridge. That bridge will also be dismantled and replaced. This entire project costs $57.7 million.“This project is necessary due to the need to replace these aging bridges with a newer structure that can better accommodate the demands of today’s traffic,” Ehrgott said.The final project in the Pine Belt is a 14-mile paving project on I-59.Ehrgott says MDOT anticipates completing this project by the fall of 2026.Right now, crews are focused on finishing touches to the entire 14-mile stretch that starts in Lamar County and continues through Jones County.“Crews are concentrating on placing the final lift, which is going to be a thin lift of OGFC or open graded friction course to the entire length of the project. This work should progress fairly quickly,” Ehrgott said.There will also be bridge repair work on the eight bridges along this 14-mile stretch, but these repairs should have minimal impact on traffic.Want more WDAM 7 news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.</div></body>

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PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) - The Mississippi Department of Transportation says many of its Pine Belt work zones are moving into different phases, and some have even reached completion. In Covington County, the intersection of Highway 49 and State Route 35 is now a much safer area and free of...

MDOT: One project complete, two ongoing in the Pine Belt

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PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) - The Mississippi Department of Transportation says many of its Pine Belt work zones are moving into different phases, and some hav

MDOT: One project complete, two ongoing in the Pine Belt

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