NATCHEZ — Upgrades to roads in the Natchez-Adams County Port in support of recent economic development projects will begin soon— at no cost to local taxpayers.

The Adams County Board of Supervisors awarded a $138,032 contract to Central Asphalt Inc. of Vicksburg this week for the asphalt overlay of Moran Road and a laydown yard to improve turnaround at L.E. Barry Road.

The board also voted to pay Natchez engineering firm Jordan, Kaiser and Sessions $10,500 for pre-engineering work associated with the project.

The overlay is to help the ease of travel for commercial truck and employee traffic to Enersteel.

County Engineer Jim Marlow said that while the road itself is structurally sound, it has been in bad need of a new overlay for some time.

“It has had a lot of heavy loads hauled over it in the past few years, and nothing has really been done about it in erms of overlay — it is getting to the point that it really needs taking care of,” he said.

Natchez Inc. Executive Director Chandler Russ said that while the board of supervisors approved the payments, they were awarding the money for both the road contract and the engineering fees from a Development Infrastructure Program grant connected to Enersteel’s expansion announced in May.

“We have been patching that ever since they ramped up back there, and so it is going to be a nice addition or benefit to both Enersteel and the county as we work through that,” Russ said. “We are highly appreciative to the Mississippi Development Authority and our partners for helping assist in this worthwhile project.”

Earlier this month, Enersteel announced a second expansion that includes building an addition to its existing facility, and this week poured the foundation for the expansion.

The MDA has also provided funding for that expansion, Russ said, in the form of $150,000 to help relocate equipment and electrical upgrades.

The May and August expansion announcements represent a combined 65 new jobs and $21 million in investments.