Mississippi Highway Patrol officials are putting the finishingtouches on their new headquarters in preparation for a Friday openhouse at the facility on Highway 84.

“We’re completing the final details in anticipation of the grandopening,” said Sgt. Errol Pierce, public information officer forMHP’s Troop M.

The grand opening and open house ceremony is scheduled forFriday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Pierce said Gov. Ronnie Musgrove,state and local officials and others have been invited toattend.

The new 14,000 square foot facility, located near the newNational Guard Armory, will replace MHP’s current headquarters onHighway 51. The Highway 51 station was constructed in the1950s.

“We need to expand because law enforcement is expanding,” Piercesaid. “We need to move into the new millennium.”

Construction on the approximately $1.3 million building began inSeptember 2001 and was completed in November 2002. MHP officialshad been waiting on some furnishing before moving into the newfacility.

The building features a larger waiting room for driver’s licenseapplicants and others needing MHP services, larger offices forstaff, sizable evidence storage areas and a small barracks forstaff member overnight stays if needed.

Pierce said officials are wrapping up movement of equipment anddocuments to the new facility.

MHP operations are currently divided between the new buildingand the old facility. Communications and criminal investigators arealready working out of the new facility while driver’s licenseoperations and other services are expected to be there byFriday.

“Hopefully, it will all be completed and be ready for the grandopening,” Pierce said.