A road expansion that has been in discussion for quite some time is becoming a reality, as construction crews have begun cutting a path that some hope will lead to future economic development.

Trees have been cut and the path of Ceres Boulevard’s extension in the Ceres Industrial Park is becoming more clear. The path will take the current Ceres Boulevard further east between Tyson and Unified Brands and provide key access to the largest remaining site in the industrial park, site “B.”

“We are still looking at being done by February,” Pablo Diaz, Vicksburg Warren Economic Development Partnership President and CEO, said during a Warren County Port Commission meeting last week. “You can see all the way to the site now. The crews are working now to get all the elements needed for the bridge. Everything is going well and going on schedule.”

Over the past year, Diaz and the Partnership have announced a number of grants and other funding sources that have left the Port Commission and the county with little left to pay for.

The MDA is providing a $406,605 grant and Entergy a $10,000 grant. The grants are reimbursement grants, meaning the port commission pays for the work and is reimbursed by the other agencies and organizations.

In October, Diaz announced the Port Commission had accepted a $256,500 Delta Regional Authority grant. The grant, along with those from the Mississippi Development Authority and Entergy, will cover 80 percent of the project’s estimated $846,900 cost. The Port Commission pays 20 percent, or $173,795.

“The Warren County Port Commission is excited to receive approval for this grant in support of the construction of the access road to Site B at Ceres,” Diaz said when the grant award was announced. “This grant will match other monies already committed by the Mississippi Development Authority, Entergy, and the Port Commission itself, to make this important improvement as a public-private partnership.”

In a previous interview with The Post, Diaz called the site “one of the most competitive large sites in the Central Mississippi area. MDA, Entergy, DRA, and other economic development partners recognized that this is an opportunity worth investing in and we are most appreciative for their commitment to our community.”