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Holly Springs bypass opens By SUE WATSON
Staff Writer  | Photo by Sue Watson
A long time coming
(Center)
Mayor Andre’ DeBerry, transportation commissioner Bill Minor and
Congressman Travis Childers cut the ribbon Tuesday morning, officially
opening the new stretch of highway, while other city, county and state
officials share in the long-awaited celebration. |
“A
dream come true” is what U.S. Rep. Travis Childers called the opening
of the North Holly Springs bypass road Tuesday after 18 years of
waiting. Childers was among a long list of
county, city and state officials who patched together the tapestry of
hope and waiting to arrive at the remarkable conclusion of construction
of the just over four-mile stretch of road. It will be designated as a
Highway 4 and Highway 7 truck route. “Some people
think it takes too long, but sometimes it takes a long time to get a
road built,” said a proud Bill Minor, Northern District transportation
commissioner. Minor said he was nagged by many
until the final $2.5 million came in from Congress last year to
complete the highway paving portion of the project that was begun in
1992. That’s when the late Holly Springs Mayor Eddie Lee Smith went to
Washington to ask the late U.S. Congressman Jamie Whitten to get $5
million for the project. Over time, the cost of the project came to
close to $10 million dollars because of difficulties in finding a
funding stream and rising costs. Multiple
agencies were involved in providing funds over the long haul - first
Congress, then the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the Mississippi
Department of Transportation which administered the project from start
to finish. The design, engineering and property
cost $3.8 million plus with Phase I completed in 2004. That portion was
opened to traffic which connected Highway 4 East to Highway 7 North.
Design and engineering for Phase II was completed in the same year and
bids opened in November of that year but were rejected because of lack
of funds. The cost of construction had been run up because of the
escalating costs of fuel and materials. Paving was taken out of the
bid, and bids for grade, drainage and erosion control and bridges were
taken in May 2005. MDOT, the city and the county had to come up with
money to finish Phase II at a cost of $3.6 million. The
project was again stalled due to the U.S. recession and economy and the
hard work began anew to find money to pave the road. Meanwhile erosion
problems were a problem and the county came in and took care of those
problems while everyone waited for the miracle. The
miracle came in the latter part of 2008 and early part of 2009 when
MDOT applied $1.6 million in federal dollars and Congressional
stimulus dollars and the governor’s office and State Legislature
provided $500,000 in bonds to finish the job. Minor
and others said the bypass would change Holly Springs through
opportunities for economic growth, plus reduce truck traffic through
downtown and provide safer transportation in the area. Many
who worked to get the road finished after Smith left his legacy
included Don Hollingsworth and Larry Britt, who helped push the project
along, the boards of supervisors and boards of aldermen who followed,
and officials with the state agencies mentioned already and Three
Rivers Planning and Development District. “It’s
been a long time coming; it was just a dream. People had to keep those
visions alive,” said state Rep. Kelvin Buck, who was one of many who
helped push the project over the finish line. Seated
on the podium with Buck were Rep. Tommy Woods and Sen. Bill Stone,
Childers, mayor Andre’ DeBerry, State Aid engineer Brooks Miller,
Hollingsworth and Larry Hall, county administrator. “Hard work, endurance and dedication will pay off in the end and this road attests to that,” Buck said. Stone said the push for funding was discussed every day in the state capitol until the money was found to pave the road. Childers gave Stone credit for his persistence in seeking funding from Congress. “Bill
Stone called me one day and before he hung up he said, ‘Do you think
you could find us the money?’ he said. “Three days later he called and
before he hung up, he said, ‘Have you found the money yet?’ I said, ‘It
has only been three days.’ ” Childers said the bypass was in his first request as a newly elected Congressman. More
on the line of persistence, engineer Brooks Miller said it was
Supervisor (Bernice) Totten who steadily leaned on him to find money
for the bypass project after he had promised to help find the money. “Mrs.
Totten said, ‘Mr. Miller, are you going to build my project?’ She
looked me straight in the face. ‘You told me you had money for my job
and now you are telling me you don’t have the money.’ Mr. Miller, where
is my money?’ ” Miller recalled. Hollingsworth
gave credit to Smith and the late W.A. McMillan, former president of
Rust College, for using their influence to get the first money through
the Appalachian Regional Commission. Hall
recalled the first board of supervisors that was asked to assist with
the project was not interested in forking out any money for it. “The
original board said we are the only the structure to handle the money;
it is a city project,” Hall said. “One supervisor said, ‘I’ll vote for
it as long as it don’t cost us nothing. “The city
and the county both agreed to put money in this project. Without hard
decisions along the way and a group effort, this road would not be
here.” Minor credited Childers for giving the project the final, successful push through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. “He
transferred $2.5 million in economic stimulus funds,” Minor said. “If
it weren’t put into this road, it wouldn’t be here today. We appreciate
what you did for us and are glad to have you here today with us.” “It was just a dream in 1992,” Childers said. “Today, it is a dream come true. “The
ARRA funds to finish this road went to construction jobs for businesses
in the First Congressional District. It (the project) went from paper
to pavement right before our eyes. I commend you. My hat’s off to you,
Marshall County, Holly Springs and to you, legislators. This is what
people expect us to do.” |
