By By William F. West / community editor
Jan. 3, 2003
NEWTON The Mississippi Department of Transportation plans to renovate and make additions to its district headquarters here.
MDOT plans to open bids Jan. 28, with completion of the project scheduled for Aug. 31, 2004.
Ricky May, district engineer at the Newton headquarters, said the main work will be on a hallway that has a couple of offices. The hallway connects the central office and the repair shop.
May said plans call for widening the hallway, adding offices to it and topping it with a second story with additional offices.
The MDOT headquarters, which dates back to 1951, is on U.S. 80 about a mile west of Newton.
It serves a 10-county area from Lauderdale County to as far west as Hinds County and as far north as Noxubee County. It oversees all administration, hiring, construction projects and highway and bridge maintenance in the district.
May said the Newton headquarters needs more space because the district has to maintain increasing paperwork and also has taken in more personnel.
As an example, May said that four years ago, the headquarters began housing the district's truck weight enforcement division.
Hall said the district office is something of which the public can be proud.