Motorists can expect further delays along Highway 51 asintersections along the road are repaved as part of a stateproject, officials said.

The flow of traffic is likely to be disrupted for a few moreweeks, said Donnie Smith, project superintendent for Dickerson andBowen Construction, which was awarded the Mississippi Department ofTransportation contract.

Work at the intersection of Highway 51 and Brookway Boulevard isexpected to continue into next week, Smith said.

Milling, which involves the removal of old paving, on BrookwayBoulevard to the east of Highway 51 should be completed by Friday,with crews switching to the western approach to the highway onMonday. The milling there will also take a few days.

Once the milling is completed, Smith said, crews will lay anasphalt base and wait a few days before paving the intersection.Final paving will be done about a week later.

“I know it’s a little of a damper for the drivers, but please bepatient,” Smith said. “We’ll be in and out as quickly as possible.The paving will go a lot quicker than the milling.”

The Highway 51-Brookway Boulevard intersection is the second offive locations approved in the MDoT plan, Smith said. It is alsothe largest and most time-consuming.

Milling has been completed at the first location at theintersection of Highways 51 and 550. In coming weeks, the Highway51 intersections at Industrial Park Road, Country Club Lane andNatchez Avenue will also be milled and paved.

Smith said he regrets the delays to drivers traveling throughthese busy intersections, but the work cannot be done at nightbecause of the rise in safety hazards and the unavailability ofparts in the event of equipment breakdowns.