NATCHEZ — St. Catherine Street served as a melting pot for diversity after the Civil War — and it will soon have the signage to prove it.

The second phase of the St. Catherine Trails Project, which will feature 32 panels along St. Catherine Street, will be bid on Tuesday, May 12.

Bids will be structured to allow components of work to be selected — and awarded — based upon available funds.

The project is part of a larger one — The Natchez Trails Project — which began in 2005 with the goal of providing panels throughout downtown Natchez explaining the area’s rich history.

The first phase of The Natchez Trails Project included 5.6 miles of walking trails along Broadway, Rankin, High, Washington and Martin Luther King Junior Streets.

David Gardner with the Natchez-Adams County Community Alliance said right now, the second phase of the St. Catherine Street trails is pending on receiving a bid within the estimated budget.

The completion date of the project will be calculated after the city issues a “Notice of Award” to the lowest bidder.

“(The completion date) will be based on available productive days of 109 days,” Gardner explained. “The way it is calculated takes into account that not all days are productive due to rain, temperatures and so on.”

The second phase of the project will also involve significant restoration to the street’s sidewalks, curbs and gutters.

If funds allow, Gardner said a new traffic signal would be installed at the intersection of St. Catherine and Martin Luther King Streets.

“This phase, along with the completion of the Bridge of Sighs, will be great additions to the overall Natchez Trails Project experience,” Gardner said.  “Whereas the first phase of the trails in downtown focused on historic structures, these panels will focus more about life along St. Catherine Street and the co-existence of everyday life among the various ethnic groups.”

Phase two of the St. Catherine Street Trails, funded by the Mississippi Department of Transportation, will be inspected by consulting firm Volkert & Associates, based out of New Orleans. Community Development Director James Johnston, with assistance from incoming Natchez Water Works Superintendent Tony Moon, will oversee the project.

“We are excited this project is bidding, which represents a lot of hard work from a host of people assigned to this project,” said Gardner, adding that through working on the project, many little-known facts about St. Catherine Street have come to light.  “It’s a great project, and I’m looking forward to seeing it completed.