Mississippi Department of Transportation officials are urgingBrookhaven motorists to be observant and exercise caution during anupcoming paving project through town.

The approximately $986,000 project will involve milling andoverlay of the road from West Congress Street at Highway 51 alongMonticello Street to the Highway 84 bypass.

“It should be starting sometime this week,” said Dal Stell, MDOTresident project engineer in the Brookhaven office.

Dickerson and Bowen will be handling the project. MDOT crewswere making preparations for the project Monday and Tuesday.

“We’re putting up road work signs at the intersections,” saidWendell Alexander, road inspector.

Alexander said the milling, the grinding away of old pavement,will be done in sections and then paved. Those sections includenear the high school and by the movie theater.

Stell said there are sections of the road that have not beenaddressed in some time and maintenance is needed. He expected tothe project to be completed around the end of May.

“It’s going to depend on the weather and how they go,” Stellsaid.

Stell said traffic control devices and flagmen will be in placeduring the project. He advised motorists to be aware of work goingon in the area.

“We will have lane closures throughout the job when we’reworking,” he said. “They will change from day to day.”

Mayor Bob Massengill said the project will help Brookhaven. Ittouted it in conjunction with another paving project beingundertaken by the city.

“What will really help is when we get the downtown paved andhave Monticello Street done,” the mayor said.

Aldermen last week voted to seek bids on the downtown project.City officials hope to get that work done in the spring.