Slides occurred along Redwood Road in Vicksburg, MS, due to significant rains in February 2020. These slides resulted in approximately 1,000 feet of damage to the roadway. Mendrop Engineering Resources, LLC (MER) was contracted to provide erosion control plans, hydraulic design analysis, and roadway design plans. MER worked with subcontractor Headwaters, Inc. for wetlands/waters delineation and reporting and with subcontractor Burns, Cooley, Dennis, Inc. for geotechnical investigation. MER collected topographic survey using drone LiDAR and traditional GPS survey methods. The topographic data and geotechnical data, along with data collected from preliminary inspections and other sources, were used to develop slide stabilization plans.

The Vicksburg National Military Park (VNMP) has a history of slope stability issues due to the erodibility of the loess bluffs upon which the park and national cemetery sit. A landslide of approximately 0.5 acres occurred in February 2020, impacting approximately 200 feet of roadway, displacing nine military graves, and exposing several drainage pipes. While the initial landslide resulted in a vertical displacement of over 6 feet, by March 2020, the road had dropped approximately 12 feet and rotated backwards towards Trindle Circle of the southwest corner of the Indian Mound. The landslide overrode part of the brick wall bordering the cemetery which extends upslope from a monumental archway. Further site visits indicated continuing erosion due to runoff discharges.

As engineers for the City of Batesville, Mississippi, MER was tasked with preparing plans and specifications to combat stream bank erosion in three key areas along major drainage ditches in Batesville. In cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the City of Batesville secured a grant to help fund the nearly $600,000 project.

A Mississippi Designated Landmark and a notable part of the Mississippi Mounds Trail, the City of Batesville has acted diligently to preserve this important piece of history. Mendrop Engineering Resources, LLC, (MER) has worked closely with the City of Batesville to enhance and further improve the Batesville Mounds Park, including the design and construction of a new parking pad. MER coordinated with the Mississippi Department of Transportation and Iowa Pacific Railroads to design and construct a new railroad crossing, providing safe access to the park. A grant from the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) funded through the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) helped provide over 0.75 miles of paved concrete trails. MER was responsible for creating the plans, overseeing the construction, and coordinating with MDWFP to ensure the proper RTP reporting processes were completed. A second RTP grant from MDWFP funded the construction of additional concrete and natural trails, an observation deck along the Tallahatchie River, a wooden bridge over a historical river meander scar, and other improvements.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) proposed a plan to widen U.S. Highway 11 between Cayten Street and Lakeshore Drive from a 3-lane section to a 4-lane divided boulevard through Picayune in Pearl River County, MS. Mendrop Engineering Services, LLC, (MER) was retained by MDOT to perform a hydrologic and hydraulic analysis of the proposed storm drainage system for the roadway widening. The study included the development a hydraulic storm sewer model of the storm drainage system as currently designed in order to evaluate and document the hydraulics of the system.

Mendrop Engineering Resources, LLC (MER) was selected by the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) to prepare conceptual, preliminary, and final bridge hydraulic recommendations and bridge plans for Jourdan River, Bayou Talla, and a tributary of Bayou Talla on a proposed project to bypass Kiln, MS by relocating a portion of State Route 43/603. Initial conceptual bridge recommendations for the bridges over Jourdan River and Bayou Talla were originally prepared by MER during the Environmental Planning Phase of this project. The Jourdan River bridge site is located within a Zone “AE” Special Flood Hazard Designation with a regulatory floodway according to FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps. As a part of this project, MER provided “No-Rise/No-Impact” Certification as required by the National Flood Insurance Program for regulatory floodways.

Mendrop Engineering Resources, LLC (MER) was selected by the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) to provide hydraulic recommendations and bridge plans for the hydraulic crossings of Mattie Creek (Bridge #33.2) and Nelson Creek (Bridge #33.6) on State Route 310 (SR 310). In a separate contract, MER was selected to develop Phase “A” Final Right-of-Way plans for the bridge replacements (Bridges # 33.2 and #33.63) on SR 310 in Panola County.

Mendrop Engineering Resources, LLC (MER) was selected by the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) to evaluate the potential for scour and develop a plan of action at the bridge site on U.S. Interstate Highway 55 (1-55) Bridge #266.8A & B over HIckahala Creek in Tate County. The bridge scour evaluation study was performed in four phases, including hydrologic, hydraulic, and scour analysis and a geotechnical and structural assessment. Burns Cooley Dennis, Inc. subcontracted with MER to perform subsurface exploration at the site, while Amec Foster Wheeler (AFW)was subcontracted to perform the structural assessment. MER then utilized the data and analysis to provide MDOT with a recommended plan of action.

Initially, Mendrop Engineering Resources, LLC (as Mendrop~Wages, LLC) was contracted by Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) to provide an independent hydraulic review of engineering data submitted by a third party contractor for State Route 33 (SR33) Homochitto River Bridge (Bridge #29.00) near Rosetta. The scope of work for this small purchase contract also included submission of supplemental conceptual design recommendations for stream bank stabilization.

Canadian National Railroad has contracted Mendrop to evaluate the hydrologic conditions and hydraulic characteristics of existing bridges and culverts in order to provide guidance for replacement.