The Mississippi Transportation Commission says it has awarded nearly $9 million in pavement restoration contracts, using money generated by the state lottery that started selling tickets in November. Photo by Brett Patzke on Unsplash

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi Transportation Commission says it has awarded nearly $9 million in pavement restoration contracts, using money generated by the state lottery that started selling tickets in November.

By the end of April, the state had collected $47.2 million from the games, the Mississippi Lottery Corporation said Tuesday. The April collections were $9.7 million.

For the first 10 years, the first $80 million a year from lottery revenue goes to infrastructure, with the rest going to education. After the 10-year period is over, the first $80 million will go to the state’s general fund with the rest continuing to go to education.

The Transportation Commission said in a news release Monday that the first seven contracts it awarded from the lottery money were:

— $2.1 million to APAC-Mississippi for a nearly 11-mile (17.7-kilometer) resurfacing project on U.S. Highway 51 in Holmes County.

— $1.8 million to APAC-Mississippi for a 14-mile (22.5-kilometer) mill and overlay project on Mississippi Highway 432 in Yazoo County.

— $1.6 million to Warren Paving for resurfacing projects along 5 miles (8 kilometers) of Mississippi Highway 198 in Perry County and 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) of the same highway in Greene County.

— $1.4 million contract to WG Construction Company, Inc., of Ripley, for a 7-mile (11.3 kilometer) resurfacing project on Mississippi Highway 371 in Itawamba County.

— $995,030 to Warren Paving, Inc., of Hattiesburg, for a 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) mill and overlay project on U.S. Highway 49 in Harrison County.

— $926,960 to Dickerson & Bowen, Inc., of Brookhaven, for a 2-mile (3.2-kilometer) mill and overlay project on Mississippi Highway 467 in Hinds County.

— $148,578 to Akca, LLC, of Plant City, Florida, for installation of raised pavement markers in central Mississippi.