Portion of Highway 26 near Lucedale reopens after being washed away by landslide
The portion of State Route 26 near Lucedale that was closed due to a landslide caused by Hurricane Ida reopened Wednesday, according to the Mississippi Department of Transportation website.
Heavy rain caused a large portion of the roadway to wash out overnight Aug. 30, killing three people and injuring 10. That section of road has been closed since, causing drivers to use long detours to get around it.
The stretch of road that was closed was an estimated 75 feet long. The hole that cars fell into when the road collapsed was about 20- to 30-feet deep, according to a George County spokesperson.
A human chain was originally used to rescue the drivers that had fallen into the large hole where the roadway collapsed.
“MDOT’s goal from the beginning has been to get this road back open safely and quickly,” said Commissioner Tom King, Southern Transportation District. “I know how important Highway 26 is for the region, and I appreciate all the work that went into getting it open ahead of schedule.”
The project cost $1.8 million and was awarded to T.L. Wallace Construction, of Columbia, on Oct. 7.
MDOT says crews will now work to repave the detour routes that were used during the road closure, with that project expected to be finished in early 2022.
State Route 26 is a main highway connecting the cities of Wiggins and Lucedale as well as other communities in South Mississippi.
