JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) - Crews with the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) are close to finishing Phase 1 of the bridge replacement project on Interstate 55 in Jackson.

MDOT is currently repairing two bridges over the Pearl River in Jackson. They're working a hydro-demolition on the inside lanes on the northbound and southbound sides of the interstate.

“That's the tool that they used to just blow out this country concrete to get down to the rebar, so then we can replace that and pour that new concrete on top of it. So, it'll be nice and smooth," said Michael Flood, the Public Information Officer for MDOT.

MDOT expects the inside lanes on the northbound side to be finished Christmas week. After New Year's, crews will pour concrete on the inside lanes of the southbound side. The lanes will remain closed until this part of the project is comlete.

Once the inside lanes are complete, MDOT will begin working on the outside lanes on the northbound and southbound sides of I-55.

According to the agency, the bridges see 113,000 cars a day on average, causing them to become worse over time.

“We've got to put a new deck down to really make it last into the next few decades," said Flood.

The project costs more than $24 million and is expected to be completed in Spring 2025.