Natchez street project downsized to fit high costs

NATCHEZ, Miss. – The city’s street repaving project is being downsized and further delayed as higher-than-expected costs are forcing the mayor and aldermen to remove 30 Natchez streets from the original list considered in need of new surfaces.

Getting contractors to bid on overlaying the 45 streets now listed and to do the work is expected to take about a year, according to the timetable set Tuesday by Mayor Dan Gibson and aldermen.

With about $6 million budgeted, the city officials last year approved 75 streets for what’s considered Natchez’ largest repaving project in recent years. However, Gibson said Tuesday that’s proven to be an overly optimistic number that exceeds the funds set aside for the project.

Streets listed as the most in need for new pavement starts with Cemetery Road and goes on to include sections of Brenham Avenue, Liberty Road, Margaret Avenue, Melrose-Montebello Parkway, North Rankin, Auburn, Fatherland, Arlington, Jefferson Davis and more.

Streets low on the list will be taken off but remain on standby for resurfacing if funds are available, Gibson said. The work is being paid for through bonds the Board of Aldermen sold in 2022 to generate the $6 million.

The street-overlay project originally had been expected to start this spring, but the city is having to seek new proposals from roadbuilders after the one bid submitted in March was about $3 million more than what was budgeted.

New bids were to be submitted by May 25, but the mayor and aldermen will extend the deadline for road contractors to make their competitive proposals and then pick the lowest and best bidder possibly in June.

While work could begin during the summer, it’s not likely to be finished this year. The job is expected to be interrupted during the winter-weather months but be resumed to finish by late April.

Work will be concentrated on sections of the roughest residential streets in Natchez. Natchez has an inventory of 480 streets. Previous city street repavement projects in recent years were in 2019 and 2018, when the board allocated about $490,000 from revenues Natchez receives leasing city-owned land to Magnolia Bluffs Casino.