Stimulus-funded paving projects on Clay Street and Wisconsin Avenue are nearing completion with APAC Mississippi crews on track to finish the work before the April 23 contract deadline.

“They’ll have to come back and do some permanent striping on the roads, but the bulk of the work is coming to a close,” said Public Works Director Bubba Rainer on Wednesday.

APAC Mississippi is being paid $637,605.04 to mill and repave Clay Street, from Cherry Street to Mission 66, and Wisconsin Avenue, from Interstate 20 to Bazinsky Road. As of Wednesday afternoon, milling and paving of Clay was completed, and the work on Wisconsin was more than half complete.

The city dedicated all of its $947,635 allocation in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to paving. With planning, testing and engineering costs factored in, Rainer said there will be no stimulus funds left.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin Avenue between Bazinsky and Porters Chapel roads remains closed due to ongoing work by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center on a bridge and access road beneath. That project kicked off in February, and the road is expected to be closed through July. Wisconsin Avenue traffic is being detoured onto Bazinsky Road.

Contact Steve Sanoski at ssanoski@vicksburgpost.com