Bridge work
The Mississippi Department of Transportation reported recently on a number of projects underway in northwest Mississippi, including two in Marshall County.
Bridge work along the I-22 corridor and a bridge replacement project in Holly Springs on Salem Avenue are affecting traffic flow in these areas, according to John Caldwell, MDOT commissioner for the Northern District.
Talbot Brothers has a $9.2 million contract for bridge preservation along I-22 in Marshall and DeSoto counties.
In Marshall, the Red Banks Road bridge on I-22 is complete, and the bridge is open to traffic.
Work remains on the I-22 bridges at Highway 7 and at West Holly Springs. Bridge decks are being replaced and other structural repairs remain on these two projects.
The Salem Avenue bridge over the Burlington Northern Sante Fe and Mississippi Central railroad tracks in Holly Springs has been torn out by Talbot Brothers. New test piles and work on the bridge piling and structural work continues with a completion date in summer of 2022. It is a $5.2 million contract.
A roundabout, under construction in Lafayette County at the intersection of Highway 7 and Highway 9 West, will improve traffic flow at the intersection. The roundabout will break the bottleneck at that intersection allowing a smoother flow of traffic travelling and safer intersection. It should also affect a smoother traffic flow for motorists traveling to Holly Springs from Oxford and vice versa.
An intersection is also under construction at Highway 7 South and South Lamar Avenue in Oxford. That intersection will also ease traffic flow through Oxford to Marshall County.
Other northwest Mississippi projects include:
• repair of bridge deck and bearing pads on the Highway 78 over Bethel Road in DeSoto County. Work is almost completed.
• repair of the Coldwater River bridge is complete and both lanes have been opened to traffic.
• bridge replacement on Highway 3 in Tate County. Construction of two bridges on Highway 3 over Strayhorn and Arkabutla creeks replaces steel bridges built in the 1950s. Bridge realignments are making the roads safer.
• bridge replacement on I-55 in Tate County is underway.
Effects on businesses with bridge out
Phyllis and John Paul Carpenter said the bridge construction on Salem Avenue in Holly Springs is affecting business on the east side of the city, as well as neighborhoods.
People from out of town who don’t know Salem bridge is out have a hard time finding their way to Carpenter’s Produce, according to Phyllis Carpenter.
The rerouting of traffic around Salem is also making it hard for in-town customers to get from work to the produce stand before closing time, she said.
Residents living on SE Boundary are likely inconvenienced the most.
“People living on Boundary say it’s one more mess,” Carpenter said. “It is heavy traffic, big trucks and worse when it’s flooding.”
The Carpenters said operators of Star Lite Food & Fuel are also seeing interruption of some of their business.
“It’s hurting this whole side of town,” said John Paul Carpenter.
He said he is also concerned about ambulance delays to Alliance Hospital.
Employees at Cook’s Auto Parts and Cooper Feed and Fertilizer on SE Boundary said their businesses have not been affected by the traffic rerouting.