Highway 90 lane closure extended to remove skeletal remains

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - If you are driving on Highway 90 near the Biloxi Cemetery early this week, you will notice traffic delays due to a lane closure.

The northernmost lane of the highway reopened on Friday afternoon; however, it is set to close again Monday and is expected to stay closed until Wednesday.

The closure was scheduled for crews to excavate skeletal remains that were discovered more than two years ago during an infrastructure project.

Officials say the bones come from old grave sites that were eventually paved over. (Photo... — Officials say the bones come from old grave sites that were eventually paved over. (Photo Source: WLOX)

The bones were found about five feet below ground in the small strip of the median between the highway and the cemetery. According to the city, the gravesites located there date back to the 1700s.

The work to dig up the remains was approved by state and federal officials as well as Native American leaders.