Mississippi’s September Iron Index is 75 (Active), based on the latest fully awarded cycle: September 1. Two bridge-replacement contracts total $54.0 million. Regional diesel and employment-based capacity pressure warrant attention; later September bids await final award records.
One score summarizing project activity, demand, capacity, operating pressure, and near-term opportunity.
September 1 bridge-replacement awards total $54.0M across two contracts.
Gulf Coast diesel was $5.955/gal for the week of September 28.
September 22 and 29 bids still lack posted final award records.
For readers who want the detail behind the score, signals, regional outlook, and operating recommendations.
Executive read: Mississippi’s September Iron Index is 75 (Active), Iron Sheepdog’s proprietary assessment. The latest fully awarded cycle available for this edition is September 1: two bridge-replacement contracts with substantial site-specific work. Higher regional diesel and a tighter employment-based capacity signal call for disciplined quotes and direct availability checks. This cycle is not the full September letting total.
MDOT awarded $47,169,530.82 to Talbot Brothers Contracting Company, Inc. for bridge replacements between Webb and Charleston, covering bridge numbers 45.6, 46.2 and 47.0. The project is BR-0051-02(023) / 102383302. Confirm excavation, aggregate and approach-work packages with the prime before reserving trucks.
MDOT awarded $6,806,904.52 to T. L. Wallace Construction, Inc. for bridge replacements over unnamed streams and between Magnolia and Fernwood, covering bridge numbers 11.7, 12.1, 13.3 and 13.4. The project references are 106972301 and 106972302. Confirm material quantities, access and mobilization dates directly.
MDOT’s calendar lists September 22 and September 29 lettings with checked bid results. Final Bid Awards links were not posted as of October 23. Those bids are outside this edition’s scored cycle; checked results do not establish final award or immediate mobilization.
EIA’s Gulf Coast diesel price was $5.955 per gallon for the week of September 28, 13.4% above its recent reference level. This is a regional benchmark, not a Mississippi pump price. Check fuel adjustments, return mileage and delay terms when quoting.
BLS reported 55,400 Mississippi construction jobs in September 2026 versus 53,700 in September 2025, up 3.2%. This preliminary employment-based proxy points toward tighter hauling availability. It does not measure truck supply; confirm actual equipment commitments locally.
This edition assesses the latest fully awarded cycle, its work mix, regional diesel and construction employment. Project Pipeline and Broker Opportunity are not scored because comparable forward-project dollar coverage is unavailable for September. This inaugural edition has no month-over-month Index trend.
Activity uses September 1 as the latest fully awarded September cycle available. Its comparison window is the preceding three complete letting cycles, including emergency lettings, rather than twelve calendar months. The later September 22 and 29 bids are described separately and excluded from the scored cycle.
Prepared October 23, 2026. Observations are anchored to September.
The Iron Index is Iron Sheepdog’s proprietary market assessment, built from public DOT, EIA and BLS data. A score of 60 represents normal conditions for that state. The scoring derivation is proprietary and is not published.
The activity comparison uses three complete letting cycles, not a twelve-month baseline. Hauler Capacity is an employment-based proxy, not a measurement of truck supply. Scores describe observed conditions and are not forecasts or guarantees. Awarded contracts do not establish mobilization dates or hauling demand. This report does not measure all municipal, county or private construction.
Use the market signals above to grow your network, plan capacity, and find better-fit work in Mississippi.