Site work for a water / sewer project in Tupelo, Mississippi. Completed plans call for site work for a water / sewer project.

TUPELO -- Lee County officials continue to push for upgrades to Turner Industrial Park, which will see its expansion with a recent bid to upgrade drainage around the railroad crossing within the corridor. The Lee County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve a $248,920 contract with Pontotoc-based Patton Construction Company LLC for water and sewer project along Turner Industrial Park in Saltillo meant to ease flooding issues in the area. The scope of the project focuses on the replacement of a box culvert along Turner Industrial Park and its intersection with the railroad, a Kansas City Southern railroad line. Funding for the project comes from $1 million allocated by the state Legislature last year as part of the overall expansion. County Administrator Ronnie Bell said the project will take strategic coordination with the railroad company as the culvert will be installed under existing railroad spurs which tie the track to WestRock Tupelo. The project will require the spur to be closed for at least five days. The tracks will need to be removed, shutting off rail access for WestRock. Once the culvert is installed, Kansas City Southern will have to rebuild the railroad bed and lay new tracks along the spur. "It is a very unusual project," Bell said. "It is going to be a bit of a hat trick... You've got commerce that still needs to happen across that spur. (It is) going to take some coordination and some help from above for some dry weather." Tupelo-based Engineering Solutions Inc. handled engineering work for the project. The area has a history of flooding during heavy rains. Water drains down into a nearby subdivision through a ditch that runs alongside the tracks, ending at Sand Creek. The new culvert will be larger, allowing for more water to flow through the ditch and under the railroad spur. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The removal of existing corrugated metal pipes and the installation of a restrained joint 10'x5' pre-cast box culvert and aprons. Bids will be received for a single prime Contract. Bids shall be priced per the pay items as indicated in the Bid Form. Each bid submitted must be marked on the outside "Bid for: TURNER PARK CPKC RAIL SPUR DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS" A satisfactory Bid Bond executed by the Bidder or an accepted Surety, a certified check, or bank draft payable to the LEE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, on negotiable U.S. Government Bonds (at par value), shall be submitted with each bid in an amount equal to five percent (5%) of the total bid.