19 south closure delayed until Wednesday

The Highway 19 south closure at Neshoba General has been delayed until 9 a.m. Wednesday for a scheduled two-month bridge replacement, the state Department of Transportation said today.

The highway was originally scheduled to close Monday morning but the project was pushed to Wednesday after a subcontractor asked for an extension, officials said.

“The subcontractor had a scheduling conflict with placing the detour signs, which is obviously pretty important, so they did not close it yet but they are going to close it by 9 a.m. tomorrow (Wednesday) morning,” said Michael Flood an MDOT spokesman.

“There is a chance, if they can get the signs placed by mid-afternoon, it could close earlier but for now it is looking like it will be Wednesday morning at 9 a.m."

The work will re-route traffic between Philadelphia and Meridian through Union.

Detour signs are in place to direct motorists around the closure by way of Mississippi 492 to Mississippi 15 in Union.

The work will replace a bridge over a Kentawka Canal tributary knows as the Little Kentawka Canal.

The closure is expected to remain in place until Aug. 5.