A major downtown intersection is expected to be closed forseveral days this week as crews drill under railroad tracks as partof the Whitworth Fire Loop project, officials said.

Jessie Neal, general superintendent for Greenbriar, said a borewill be made this week under the tracks that cross West CherokeeStreet. The work will affect the South Whitworth Avenueintersection as crews work on a connection to a line installedearlier in the project.

“That intersection will probably be closed for about a week,”Neal said Friday as work continued on Monticello Street near thelibrary.

The railroad bore and water line connection is the last of theCherokee Street work needing to be done.

In recent days, crews have been wrapping up work on JacksonStreet and Monticello Street near the library. Unless rain altersthe schedule, Neal estimated about three days will be needed tofinish the Monticello Street work.

“We’re going out Congress Street during that time, too,” Nealsaid.

Generally, the work schedule has involved first laying a newwater line in area and then covering up the new line so the streetsection may be reopened. The street is then patched after watertests and new service connections are made.

Neal reported good progress on Jackson Street. Work began inAugust at the Chippewa Street intersection.

“That 12-inch line is completed all the way up to CherryStreet,” Neal said.

Following water tests, Neal said service connections will bemade.

“We’re probably about two weeks away from that,” said Neal,adding that patching of the street will be done in about fourweeks.

Congress Street work will go from Jackson Street to HartmanStreet. Neal said the last phase of the project will be a shortsection on Schwem Avenue.

The $950,000 project, which is being done to improve waterservice to the Mississippi School of the Arts on the Whitworthcampus and to other downtown areas, is scheduled to be completedNov. 27. Neal did not expect the project to be completed exactly ontime because of some recent bad weather.

“It’ll be close,” Neal said. “The rain has delayed it.”