City council expected to trim I-20/59 contract
By By Fredie Carmichael / staff writer
Dec. 17, 2002
Meridian city officials cut about $50,000 from a contract to design a key Interstate 20/59 interchange, dropping the overall price for the project to just under $1 million.
The Meridian City Council is expected to approve the change in Engineering Associate's contract at tonight's 7 p.m. council meeting in the downtown police station.
The proposed change comes two weeks after councilmen approved the contract for an amount not to exceed $1.05 million. But city officials thought the price for the project should not exceed $993,678.
Ken Storms, the city's chief administrative officer, then negotiated the contract with Engineering Associates and was able to trim it by about $50,000.
Councilmen chose Engineering Associates of Jackson as the design firm to head the project after weeks of controversy in September.
The company will design a new I-20/59 exit at Hawkins Crossing Road to access the Meridian-Lauderdale County Industrial Park. City and county leaders say the exit will help lure business and industry to the park.
