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Next month, Kansas City Southern and Norfolk Southern Corp. will begin improving the Meridian Speedway through the Class Is’ newly formed joint venture, Meridian Speedway L.L.C.

Crews will start installing 80,000 wood ties in the Vicksburg and Meridian subdivisions in August and complete work by year’s end. The Class Is plan to install another 80,000 ties on the Speedway each of the next three years.

In September, the railroads will begin improving two Vicksburg Subdivision bridges by shortening the structures and replacing wooden trestles with concrete. Crews also will convert four bridges from wooden structures to metal pipe culverts. Work is scheduled to conclude in October.

Also in fall, workers will begin to extend a Meridan Subdivision siding, build a siding in the Vicksburg and Meridian subdivisions, and construct a double main track through High Oak Yard in Jackson, Miss. Work will continue until mid-2007.

Under the joint venture formed earlier this year, KCS contributed the 320-mile Meridian, Miss.-to-Shreveport, Speedway and NS agreed to invest $300 million in capital improvements to expand the line’s capacity and improve transit times.