JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Crews with the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) are currently performing a bridge rehabilitation project on U.S. 80 over the Pearl River in Jackson. According to MDOT, the work will require a temporary shutdown of the bridge beginning Monday, December 2.

Officials said the project calls for the removal of three steel girder spans and replacing them with a continuous plate girder span along with a new bridge deck and railing. The additional work includes placing a hybrid polymer concrete overlay on the remainder of the bridge, sealing the new bridge joints and cleaning all bridge caps.

With other ongoing work underway in the Jackson area, MDOT officials advise those who utilize the bridge daily to begin planning an alternate route around the closure using State Street, I-20, U.S. 49 and other local roads.

“This closure will be a temporary inconvenience to drivers, especially as crews work to complete the I-55 bridge work in Jackson, but this is a critical infrastructure project that must be addressed as soon as possible for the structure to safely stay in service,” said Mississippi Transportation Commission Chairman Willie Simmons. “I encourage drivers to plan alternate routes around the closure as we work to complete this work as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

The closure is expected to last up to nine months. The $6.5 million contract was awarded to Cotton Creek Transport, Inc. of Laurel. Message boards are in place to alert drivers of the upcoming closure.