The Mississippi Department of Transportation said it will permanently close two ramps on I-55 South at the U.S. 98 interchange in Summit as part of a major corridor improvement project.
MDOT said work to connect the ramps to a recently constructed roundabout will begin Friday, Feb. 27, at about 6 p.m. The department said the entrance and exit ramps at U.S. 98 (Exits 20A and 20B) will be closed during the operation and are expected to reopen to traffic by 6 a.m. Monday, March 2.
MDOT said U.S. 98 will remain open during the weekend work but that motorists may encounter minor delays because of flagging operations. The department said the loop ramps on I-55 South at Exit 20A and the ramp from U.S. 98 West to I-55 South will be permanently closed after the weekend.
In a later phase, MDOT said two loop ramps on the east side of the interchange will also be closed, reducing the number of ramps in service at the interchange from eight to four to simplify traffic flow. The agency said southbound drivers should use Exit 20B to access U.S. 98 at Summit.
MDOT said the interchange work is part of a nearly $76 million project to resurface five miles of I-55 from State Route 24 to U.S. 98 and to raise four bridges over I-55 at Delaware Ave., Park Ave., Enterprise Rd. and Robb St. The department said the project is expected to increase interstate traffic safety. MDOT provided maps and more information at https://bit.ly/4bbd28G and https://www.mdottraffic.com/?a=559608.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
