Engineer provides update on Route 9 closure in Choctaw County

CHOCTAW COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Engineers said part of Route 9 in Choctaw County will remain closed for an extended period of time.

This all began when a severe landslide was discovered between Reform and Sturgis Road and State Route 790 last week. That stretch of road is between Ackerman and Eupora.

With all the rain as of late, plus, some coming in the future, engineers said it’s only going to make this situation worse. They added that they are also doing all they can to try and fix this road as safe and as fast as they can.

District Engineer Matt Dunn said it was mandatory to shut the road down as soon as they saw what was happening.

“We started to see the cracks opening up,” he said. “And we started seeing the horizontal displacement which means the road is sinking. So we made that determination to close the road.”

So the question now is, what is next?

“Now we have our geotechnical engineers who have taken sole samples and our survey party has come in and surveyed the area,” said Dunn. “And so now our geotechnical engineers can make a determination how best to fix the road.”

Dunn said this part of the highway can be closed for several months, so drivers are advised to seek alternates routes until further notice.

“It could possibly take three months or more depending on what type of materials are under here or what needs to be fixed,” he said. “And we will make a determination once we let the project, as an emergency letting to have this road fixed.”

Dunn said that part of the highway could be closed for several months. Drivers are advised to find alternates routes until further notice.