Four-laning of highways is coming along on both sides of the Mississippi River, according to state transportation officials.

At about noon Wednesday, crews will open the newly built southbound lanes of 9.4 mile-section of U.S. 61 between Fayette and the Adams County line.

Motorists are asked to drive slowly as they adjust to the new traffic pattern, said Mississippi Department of Transportation District Engineer Walter Lyons.

&8220;Any change in driving conditions can cause some initial confusion,&8221; Lyons said. &8220;A little extra caution will help this change to go smoothly and safely.&8221;

W.E. Blain & Sons Inc., of Mount Olive built the new section of a highway for about $23 million.

The project is part of Mississippi&8217;s 1987 Four-Lane Highway Program, a commitment to improve more than 1,800 miles of four-lane highway.

Officials of the Louisiana transportation district including Baton Rouge couldn&8217;t be reached for information regarding U.S. 61 four-laning between the Mississippi state line and Baton Rouge.

But work on highways in Concordia and Catahoula parishes is moving right along, said Ricky Moon, district engineer administrator for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.

The department has let contracts for bridge approaches over the Black River at Jonesville, a $31 million project that should start after the first of the year and take about two years to finish.

In addition, the remaining sections of Louisiana 15 from the Greenville community to Sicily Island will be opened in the next few weeks.

Crews are clearing land for the section from Clayton to Greenville.

And work on a new bridge over the Tensas River at Clayton will start after the first of the year.

That bridge will be for southbound traffic, with the current bridge then reserved for northbound traffic, Moon said.