Picayune’s Huey Stockstill, Inc., has been awarded a $480,000 Mississippi Department of Transportation contract to upgrade and improve the intersection of Mississippi Highway 43 North and North Beech Street in Northwest Picayune.

MDOT also announced the completion by HSI of a $14.5 million Interstate 10 project in Harrison and Hancock counties and announced contracts impacting Pearl River County or companies doing business here.

The Miss. Hwy. 43N upgrade will see traffic lights and turning lanes installed at its busiest intersection, which also intersects with Liberty Road.

The project will also include safety improvements and upgrades.

Southern District Highway Commissioner Tom King said Picayune has seen tremendous growth, resulting in high traffic counts along the Miss. Hwy. 43 corridor.

He said the project will improve traffic flow and increase safety.

HSI safety director Frank Ford said company work crews were putting up signs at the project site and the work will involve extensive changes in the intersection.

“The addition of traffic lights and turning lanes will mark a major improvement in this intersection,” said Ford. There are no turning lanes currently.

He said work will stretch to June 2013.

In another area project involving HSI, MDOT announced the completion by HSI of a $14.5 million resurfacing project along I-10 in Hancock and Harrison counties. The project started at Diamondhead and extended to Wolf River.

The project was the first on I-10 to incorporate an Open Graded Friction Course to reduce roadway noise and eliminate most water spray from the surface of the road, MDOT said.

Other MDOT projects include:

— The State Route 53 resurfacing project in Pearl River County: Work is nearing completion on a project involving the resurfacing of six miles of State Route 53 in the county. The $1.2 million project was awarded to Warren Paving, Inc., Hattiesburg. The project extends from the Hancock County line approximately six miles north.

— Harrison County Intersection Project at West Wortham Road: Work is nearing completion on an intersection improvement project on U.S. Highway 49 and West Wortham Road in Harrison Co. The project was awarded to TCB Construction Co., Inc., Poplarville, for $750,000. The newly installed signal became operational on Thursday.

— Picayune Streetscape Project: MDOT has awarded funding to the City of Picayune, up to $160,000. The funding will be used to do streetscape on U.S. Hwy. 11, Goodyear Boulevard, North and South Main streets and the Norfolk Southern railway, to include historic-decorative street lighting, park benches, litter receptacles, decorative planters, decorative street signs and a water fountain.