NATCHEZ — The weather has caused a temporary halt in the work on the continuous flow intersection by the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

“The weather has been so wet, we haven’t been able to do much out there,” MDOT Project Engineer Jim Eggleston said.

The road construction on U.S. 61 South at John R. Junkin Drive has been shut down since the week of Nov. 17, he said.

Eggleston said the next step in the project is subgrading the new road and then placing its base.

“If it continues to be wet weather, you just can’t do that. It has to be dry enough to work,” he said.

The work that was taking place involved subsurface drainage and subgrade preparation, Eggleston said.

And once the weather clears up, the next thing MDOT workers will do is put asphalt on the road.

The continuous flow circle is a series of timed lights constructed to alleviate traffic at the intersection MDOT has deemed congested.

Only two other continuous flow intersections currently exist — one in Baton Rouge and the other in Mexico City, Mexico.

The project has been estimated to cost approximately $7.9 million.

Construction on the continuous flow intersection began in April, and the initial projected completion date was for late fall 2009.

“I don’t know exactly how (much) this will change it,” Eggleston said.

He asked motorists to continue to be patient.

“I know it’s rough driving through that every day and putting up with the barriers,” Eggleston said.