VIDALIA — Work began Thursday on what will eventually become the new location of Promise Hospital of Miss-Lou.

Workers dug a small ditch around the perimeter of the construction site, which has been marked off with flags since summer and has recently had trailers moved onto it by the construction company building the facility.

Even though site surveying has been done and some preliminary construction preparation is being done, ground has not officially been broken on the site.

Corporate spokesman for Promise Hospital John Kaye said in October the company plans to have an official groundbreaking ceremony, and Vidalia Mayor Hyram Copeland said the company is expected to announce when that ceremony will be soon.

“We are really excited about this new hospital,” Copeland said. “That’s about 150 jobs. It will have a tremendous economic impact on Vidalia.”

The city has been working with the healthcare company that operates Promise Hospital for approximately a year and a half to bring the project to fruition, Copeland said, and is expecting to see more construction in the medical field.

Promise Hospital of Miss-Lou — formerly Promise Specialty Hospital — is currently located at 6818-A U.S. 84, near Ferriday, and has 40 freestanding beds.

The new, 50,000 square foot location will be on the Vidalia Riverfront south of the Mississippi River bridge will have 40 private rooms and eight intensive care unit beds. Officials have said in the past they hope to see construction completed by December 2008. Promise is a long-term acute care facility.