By By SHERRY DIGMON
Advance Staff Writer
The highway project to four lane Highway 31 from Atmore to Flomaton has been bumped up. Preliminary engineering is scheduled to begin later this year, rather than in 2004 as was originally scheduled.
Rep. F.P. "Skippy" White is responsible for getting the project moved up about three years.
White said the joint transportation committee met with the highway department to formulate a plan for the Highway 31 project.
Poiroux and White stressed that the work to start later this year is preliminary engineering – the very first stages of this leg of the project.
The project as a whole will be discussed at public hearings, but the work itself may be done in sections, depending on the work and magnitude, Poiroux said.
Two projects of the Pollard to Flomaton four lane are still under construction. One is the two-mile stretch from Highway 29 in Flomaton to Highway 113 east of Flomaton, which is scheduled for completion in spring 2002. Poiroux said the last project from Pollard to Flomaton may be let for bids later this year.