Starkville selects contractor to oversee long-awaited road project

The $12.66 million build grant will fund improvements to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Highway 182.

Project by selecting a contractor.

Wtvas nicole dantzler gives us an update on where the highway 182 project stands.

At the end of last year starkville received a federal grant to improve the corridor on highway 182.

Its expected to take 5-6 years to complete.

Even though the mayor says theyre a little behind schedule..today the board of aldermen took a major step.

((sot)) ""we need to select a prime contractor prime consultant for the build grant that we got recently."

The starkville board of aldermen awarded a contract to kimley horn to oversee the highway 182 project.

With time not on their side..mayor lynn spruill wanted to get the ball rolling.

"this is a time critical project and to that end i called a special called because the sooner we get started the sooner we'll be able to move this along."

She showed me a picture of what the kimley horn firm wants to transform the area into.

(nats) in november 20-19, the us department of transportation granted starkville a 12 point 6-6 million dollar build grant.

The grant will fund improvements to mlk drive and highway 182.

The construction will span 1 point 4 miles from long street to old west point road.

Mayor spruill said the purpose of the project is to make this area near downtown starkville..an area for economic growth and business development.

"if you have an area of town that used to be vibrant but people move off to another area of town then the one that they leave generally goes down hill.

So trying to bring that area back to life."

Although the mayor said groundwork for the project wont start for another few years..

She said choosing the best contractor for the job is a step in the right direction.

In starkville nicole dantzler wtva nine news.

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