Road work is expected to begin next month on U.S. 61 North connecting access roads to the site of the hospital under construction near Culkin Road.

Warren County supervisors awarded the $3.1 million contract Thursday to Tanner Construction Co. Inc. of Ellisville. The bid was the lowest of eight.

A grant from the state’s Economic Development Highway Program will pay for the work that includes three access roads to the River Region hospital campus.

The project includes a ring road that will wrap the hospital campus and connect the highway north and south of Sherman Avenue. A third road will be lined up with Sherman Avenue, and a traffic light will be installed.

The project is expected to be complete in May.

Supervisors also authorized advertising for bids on a $900,000 project to connect the 432,000-square-foot facility with Culkin water and municipal sewer.

A Community Development Block Grant from the state will fund the project.

River Region began construction in January on the $112 million complex that will replace the 42-year-old ParkView Regional Medical Center on Grove Street when completed in May 2002.

The general contractor at the hospital site, Bovis Lend Lease of Nashville, began assembling the steel frame of the eight-story structure in July. The frame is expected to be complete by mid-December.

In other matters the board:

Authorized purchasing property at 2433 LeTourneau Road for $29,601 under the Hazard Mitigation Buyout Program.

Authorized the tax assessor to add $537,000 to the 2000 tax rolls after Rouse Rubber Industries Inc. withdrew a request for partial ad valorem exemption on improvements.

Supervisors will meet again at 9 a.m. Sept. 18 at the courthouse.