The Vicksburg Board of Mayor and Aldermen have hired a Jackson engineering firm to prepare the design for an erosion control project near the intersection of Iowa Boulevard and U.S. 61 South.

The board Friday approved an $83,121 contact with TRC Engineers to perform the engineering and design for the repair of an erosion problem on Iowa Boulevard near McDonald’s that occurred after a series of heavy rains in the Warren County area in February 2020.

“This is a FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) project,” City Attorney Nancy Thomas said. “There are two large pipes (culverts) that go under Iowa Boulevard that need to be replaced and a concrete headwall.”

The project is one of eight areas damaged during heavy rains that hit the area in 2020. The estimated cost for the work is $318,248 and is funded in part by a FEMA grant that pays 75 percent of the project’s eligible costs with the city paying the remaining 25 percent and the state covering half of the city’s match.

The grant is a reimbursement grant, which means the city will for the work and be reimbursed by FEMA. It is one of eight erosion control projects in the city, funded by FEMA grants.

The board in March approved borrowing $4 million to begin work on the projects. The loan will be repaid using the FEMA money.