The US$93m (€82m, £73.8m) Mississippi Aquarium project in Gulfport, US is on course to open at the end of 2019, according to the city’s mayor.

Construction is making good progress according to Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes and the projected soft open date of Q4 2019 is ahead of the original schedule.

"They’re hoping for a soft opening around Thanksgiving, around this time of year between Thanksgiving and the first of the following year, maybe to give us a first peek," he said.

Species at Mississippi Aquarium will cover water, land and air, and will include alligators, river otters, river fish, dolphins, stingrays and shorebirds.

The aquarium will hold a million gallons of salt and fresh water. It will cover nearly six acres and exhibits will be connected by landscaped walkways with plants that represent all seven physiographic regions of the state of Mississippi.

Hewes was excited about local public opinion, noting that feedback has been positive. "I will tell you, in my lifetime I’ve never seen people as excited about anything as they are about this aquarium," he said.