NATCHEZ &045; A project that will yield a &uot;dramatic entrance&uot; into the city will soon be under way.

Years of planning will be put into action at the Liberty Road interchange, which is to undergo major changes from the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

MDOT will let bids on the project Tuesday, Southern Transportation Commissioner Wayne Brown said Thursday. The project has been planned over the past five years.

&uot;We are very excited that this project is now becoming a reality,&uot; Brown said. &uot;This will have an immediate and positive impact in the community as well as provide long-term benefits to the citizens of Natchez.&uot;

MDOT Director Larry L. &uot;Butch&uot; Brown, former mayor of Natchez, said the new entrance will make &uot;a strong impression on visitors.&uot;

&uot;This will be a dramatic kind of entrance into the city,&uot; he said.

Businesses and a fire department near the site have already been relocated to make room for the new interchange.

Bids will be awarded July 12.

The work, expected to be completed by August 2007, follows the recent opening of the Natchez Trace Parkway terminus. Traffic from the Trace empties onto Liberty Road not far from the new interchange.

The work will include reconstruction and replacement of the U.S. 61 bridge over Liberty Road, the only overpass in southwest Mississippi.

The interchange itself will be a modified cloverleaf, Butch Brown said. While not a technical term exactly, the modified cloverleaf design will have two &uot;leaves,&uot; one on the north side heading east and one on the south side heading west.

Natchez city engineer David Gardner said he is looking forward to seeing the completed project.

&uot;It’s not going to be your normal intersection,&uot; he said, noting the design is not only functional but will have a &uot;very handsome bridge.&uot;

&uot;We’re fortunate to have MDOT recognize the importance of the intersection,&uot; Gardner said.

Wayne Brown said the new interchange will serve as a gateway for the Trace and is also expected to alleviate traffic congestion and improve vehicular movement.

&uot;The replacement of the bridge on U.S. 61 and four-laning of Liberty Road will help to move our society from Point A to Point B and will increase safety,&uot; he said. &uot;With the landscaping and aesthetic improvements planned, it will also improve the overall appearance of the community and will complement the beauty of the Natchez Trace.&uot;

While the work is ongoing, detours will be provided on U.S. 61 North and South, and temporary signals will be put in place so that motorists can cross Liberty Road.

MDOT will ensure that when the project begins work, advance notification will be given to the public, Wayne Brown said.

&uot;We understand the inconvenience that this project may bring, but in order to have a safe and durable highway system, improvements are needed,&uot; he said.

The Liberty Road work is the first of three major MDOT projects to be under way within the next year to 18 months.

Bids for work on D’Evereaux Drive will be let in January, while bids for work on the U.S. 61/John R. Junkin Drive intersection will be let in July 2006, Butch Brown said.

&uot;(These projects are) really going to change the face of Natchez,&uot; he said. &uot;I’m happy to have the cooperation of the commissioners&uot; in getting the projects under way.