Highway 49 roadwork expected to be completed by July 16

RANKIN CO., Miss. (WLBT) - Road work on Highway 49 is expected to be finished by the end of the week, according to MDOT.

Crews have been working on a 7.5-mile stretch of 49 from Florence to Richland.

They’ve added another lane and a shoulder in each direction.

Crews have already opened the new lane on a portion of 49 in Florence.

This project started in 2017, and, as you can imagine the road work has caused some headaches for drivers and businesses along 49 over the years.

But MDOT says the work was necessary to accommodate an estimated 51 thousand vehicles that travel this stretch of roadway daily.

If weather permits, MDOT says crews should finish work by the weekend and all six lanes on the stretch of highway will be opened to traffic.

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