Officials gathered at the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) Administration Building in Jackson today to cut ribbon on the recently completed Interstate 20 bridge replacement project. Central Transportation Commissioner Willie Simmons was joined by House Speaker Philip Gunn and other officials to celebrate the completion of this massive infrastructure improvement project.
The project called for the replacement of the I-20 eastbound bridge that spanned U.S. Highway 51, Interstate 55 south and Canadian National / Illinois Central Railroad in Jackson. Work consisted of building a larger, adjacent structure and demolishing the old I-20 eastbound bridge between State Street and Gallatin Street in Jackson.
“Despite starting at the beginning of the pandemic, I commend all crews for being able to complete this critical project on schedule without any complete shutdowns of I-20,” said Simmons. “The new bridge and other work items have made this vital cross country route a safer corridor for local and commercial traffic.”
The project included the widening of I-20 eastbound and I-55 northbound for the new bridge and roadway alignment ramps. Other significant work included asphalt paving along I-20 eastbound and I-55 northbound, slide repairs, drainage and slope pavement improvements and upgrades to electrical and ITS components.
The new bridge is composed of some of the largest concrete beams in the state. Spanning the railroad are 84 inch tall prestressed beams, approximately 170 feet long and weighing over 200,000 pounds each. This was the first project in the department’s history to utilize a self-propelled modular transport system to set the beams.
An average of 114,000 vehicles travel this stretch of interstate daily, making it one of the most heavily traveled roadways in the state. The new bridge and other work items included in the project have made this vital cross country route a safer corridor for local and commercial traffic.
Work began in March 2020. The $42.3 million project was awarded to Key, LLC of Madison. Stay updated on maintenance and construction projects at MDOTtraffic.com, download the MDOT Traffic mobile app and follow @MississippiDOT on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
