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After years of construction, detours and anticipation, the new State Route 149 bridge over the Strong River near D’Lo Water Park is officially open to traffic.
State and local officials gathered Tuesday, September 8, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating completion of the bridge and a major $25 million Mississippi Department of Transportation project involving four bridges along Highway 149 in Simpson County.
The ceremony was held at the north end of the Strong River bridge, where officials spoke about what completion of the project means for D’Lo, Mendenhall and the surrounding communities.
Among those participating were Southern Transportation Commissioner Charles Busby, Mississippi Transportation Commission Chairman Willie Simmons, State Senator Andy Berry and D’Lo Mayor John Henry Berry.
Busby called the opening a major accomplishment, noting that the Strong River bridge was the final bridge completed as part of the $25 million project.
Work began in late 2022 and included replacement of four aging structures along State Route 149: the Strong River Bridge, Sellers Creek Bridge, Dabbs Creek Bridge and Dabbs Creek Relief Box Bridge.
The work was completed in two phases, with the individual bridges closed to traffic during construction. The four new structures were built to modern standards and are designed to serve motorists for many years.
For residents of the area, however, Tuesday’s ceremony represented something even more important — the restoration of a direct connection between D’Lo and Mendenhall.
Simmons spoke about that connection during the ceremony, saying the improved Highway 149 route will serve families, businesses and motorists throughout the area for generations.
The $25 million contract was awarded to T.L. Wallace Construction of Columbia.
Remembering Three Men Who Lost Their Lives
Tuesday’s celebration also carried a solemn significance.
During construction at the Strong River bridge site, a tragic accident occurred in October 2024, claiming the lives of three workers — Charles Badger, Kevin Malone and Charles Igleharte.
Their lives and their connection to the project will not be forgotten.
A separate ceremony is planned for a later date when the bridge will formally be designated the Badger-Malone-Igleharte Memorial Bridge in their honor.
The memorial designation will ensure that as thousands of people cross the Strong River on Highway 149 in the years ahead, the names of the three men who lost their lives during construction will remain a permanent part of the bridge and its history.
Tuesday was certainly a day to celebrate the completion of a long-awaited project and the reopening of an important Simpson County route. But it was also a day to remember the tremendous human cost associated with its construction.
The new bridge is open. D’Lo and Mendenhall are once again directly connected by Highway 149. And soon, the bridge will carry three names that Simpson County will not forget.
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Thanks to James Davis for his assistance with the infomration.