The City of Vicksburg is in line to receive $947,635 from the economic stimulus recovery fund for paving projects, said Public Works Director Bubba Rainer, and it might also receive up to $8 million to repair the city’s aging storm drains and sewage pipes.

Meanwhile, Warren County Administrator John Smith said he’s still waiting to hear if the county will receive any of the $152.85 million on its stimulus wish list. Topping that list are funds for a new jail estimated to cost $25 million, as well as $7.5 million for a overhead crane and housing building at the Port of Vicksburg and $3 million for the replacing the Cherry Street bridge — which is currently slated to be funded via block grants. 

The Mississippi Department of Transportation has a received $24 million through the recovery fund specifically aimed at repairing and constructing buildings, roads and bridges. Rainer said the city likely will spend all of the stimulus money it receives from MDOT on three major paving projects:

• Clay Street, from Cherry Street to Mission 66.

• Indiana Avenue, from South Frontage Road to the city limits.

• Wisconsin Avenue, from Interstate 20 to Bazinsky Road.

The roadways were chosen because they are designated routes by the state, which Rainer said was a requirement for stimulus funding eligibility. The projects will be funded via stimulus money only if they are put to bid within six months, he added.

“It’s not impossible, but we certainly have our work cut out for us,” Rainer said, noting it typically takes at least six months to get large projects to bid.

The Clay Street project is included in the three-phase, $7.3 million citywide resurfacing project that began in February 2008. Phase two of the project is underway, and includes roadways south of the city, while downtown streets were paved last year as part of phase one. Phase three will include roadways north of the city, and Rainer said more could be included if stimulus money is used on Clay Street.

The city is vying for an additional $8 million in stimulus funds to repair storm drains and sewage pipes via the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, but Rainer said it is not clear if the money would have to be paid back.

“All of the rules are not in place yet, but some of the information we’re getting implies the money would be a 50 percent grant and a 50 percent loan,” he said. “We’re looking at what we could afford to loan if that’s the case.”

The city “missed the deadline by hours” to submit an application from the Vicksburg Municipal Airport for stimulus money via the Federal Aviation Administration, said Loyce Clark, a Birmingham aviation consultant hired by the city in October.

However, Clark said the city is ready to submit a request for $3.9 million should a second round of stimulus money become available. Included in the request would be $2.7 million for construction of an aviation apron, $175,000 to reconstruct T-hangar access to the apron and $123,300 to construct T-hangar access to the taxi way. Mayor Laurence Leyens said he is not confident all of the projects would receive funding if more stimulus money becomes available, but speculated some of the safety items would have a good chance, such as an Automated Weather Observation System and Precision Approach Path Indicator with a combined cost of $205,000.

Evelyn Bumpers, executive director of NRoute, said she has requested $25,000 in stimulus money through the MDOT for the installation of cameras on the transportation commission’s nine buses in Vicksburg.

Other projects on the county’s stimulus wish list are $2 million for the restoration of LeTourneau Road, $1.5 million to stabilize the Mississippi River bank slope nearest the U.S. 80 bridge, $1.6 million to widen Fonsylvania Road, $1.5 million to widen Burnt House and Birdsong roads, $500,000 to replace the Baldwin Ferry Road bridge, $400,000 to replace bridges at Bazinsky Road, Old Highway 27, Cairo Street, Wood Street and Avenue D and $200,000 for a new restroom at the Eagle Lake boat landing.

A small portion of the $2.8 billion Mississippi is to receive from the $787 billion stimulus package is in question, but it should not affect funds for construction projects the city and county are seeking. Gov. Haley Barbour has said he wants to reject about $56 million that would provide unemployment compensation to part-time workers. The Democratic-controlled Mississippi House voted Wednesday to bypass Barbour so the state can get its full share of federal stimulus money.

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Contact Steve Sanoski at ssanoski@vicksburgpost.com.