NATCHEZ — Not only is the Liberty Road Bridge beautiful — it’s also an award winner.

And on Thursday night, officials from the Mississippi Department of Transportation were awarded for their contribution in the bridge’s construction.

The Federal Highway Administration Awarded three MDOT officials, and the bridge’s engineer the Excellence in Highway Design Award.

“I told them I wanted the prettiest bridge in Natchez,” MDOT’s Executive Director Butch Brown said of early conversations with the bridge’s designer. “And that’s what we got.”

Several at Thursday’s ceremony were quick to point out that Brown actually had a big part in designing the bridge and worked on some of its earliest sketches.

ABMB engineer Steve Boudreaux helped to design the bridge and was also awarded Thursday.

Boudreaux said in designing the bridge he tried to capture the feel of Natchez, as the bridge is also meant to be a corridor into the city from the Natchez Trace.

“It’s really wonderful to get to work on this type of project,” Boudreaux said. “It was a chance to be creative and to entice people into the city.”

Boudreaux also said he was very impressed by how interested MDOT officials were in the design and construction phases of the bridge.

“There was truly a passion for making this bridge special,” he said.