VIDALIA, La. – Construction of drainage improvements throughout Vidalia should begin as soon as sunny weather dries out the soil, Mayor Hyram Copeland said Friday.

&uot;Over half the town has open ditches,&uot;&160;Copeland said. During this project, which should take until late this fall to complete, those ditches will be enclosed to improve water flow, decrease flooding and to improve the town’s appearance.

&uot;If these ditches are covered, people will be more likely to cut their yards all the way to the street, which will help improve those yards’ cosmetic appearance,&uot; Copeland said.

The project will cost more than $2 million and will be constructed by Camo Construction of Vidalia.

In July 1999, Vidalia voters passed a 1-cent sales tax increase to pay back $6.2 million in bonds used to fund road paving and drainage and water plant improvements.

During the first phase of the project, which started in November 1999, streets throughout Vidalia were overlaid and new filters were installed at the town’s 30-year-old water plant.

However, drainage construction means that Vidalia will not participate in the Cleanest City Contest this year, Copeland said.

In spring 2000, Vidalia came in second place to Leesville in the Louisiana Federation of Garden Clubs’ statewide Cleanest City Contest.

Vidalia won the Cleanest City title for its district that year against towns of similar size.

&uot;We just figured that with all the construction work that would be going on, we wouldn’t participate this year,&uot;&160;Copeland said.