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Study involves four-laning U.S. 61 in Port Gibson

Published 12:08am Sunday, February 5, 2012

PORT GIBSON (AP) — The Mississippi Department of Transportation is awaiting a study on Bayou Pierre as part of its preliminary study of four-laning U.S. 61 through Port Gibson.

Michael Arnemann, an assistant to Central District Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall, said MDOT has not seen the study but it is finished.

The review, conducted since 2010 by Michael Baker Jr. Inc., will determine whether a straight shot through the city would result in a net rise in the stream, which runs near the north end of town.

Preservationists are opposing the U.S. 61 plan, citing its effects on historic homes, churches and live oak trees that line the road, also called Church Street, in the center of town.

Port Gibson contains the last segment of U.S. 61 in Mississippi not widened into four lanes between Interstate 20 in Vicksburg and the Louisiana state line. North of the town, U.S. 61 is four-laned to Vicksburg and on to Redwood. South of town, U.S. 61 is four-laned around Fayette and Natchez and reaches the Louisiana line at Woodville

While part of the route through town is already four lanes, other areas are not and would be widened under MDOT’s plan.

Also, a busy stretch of the highway would be re-striped into five lanes.

Widening 61 is among the final items left over from the 1987 Four-Lane Highway Program, a multibillion-dollar effort to upgrade state highways.

 

  • Anonymous

    This is totally not necessary. I can’t recall ever being caught in Port Gibson rush hour. Definitely not worth the tax dollars that would be spent, nor the mutilation of that beautiful street.

  • Anonymous

    Why not just make it possible for Jumbo Jets to land in Port Gibson too? And, while you’re at it…lets build a NASA space port…yea, that’s the ticket.

  • Anonymous

    Bypass the town and get on with life. There is plenty of land and access around the town and you wouldn’t get the tree huggers involved. The town gets to remain entrenched in the past and the rest of the world can go on. If you want to look at Port Gibson, then drive through it. I would probably drive through it because it is a nice place but others could go around if that is their desire.

  • http://www.natchezdemocrat.com khakirat

    I can’t believe the MHD want to bring this up again for I remember the the Port Gibson people throwing Butch Brown out of town when he brought this up last! Why on earth they don’t by-pass the town is a 64,000 dollar question??!!

  • Anonymous

    I wonder why bypassing Port Gibson doesn’t appear to be in the cards.  It is obvious the people do not want the highway 4-laned.  I do not see economic prosperity coming to Southwest MS anytime soon.  One thing, I quickly learned when I lived in Natchez, is that those in power do not want economic growth.  I ran into several people that were glad to see the paper mill leave.  If you want prosperity for yourself and family, LEAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Anonymous

    Totally agree with the bypass, but then there’s this very issue with HWY18.  I thought for sure by now, it would have been made into a 4 lane but, with certain portions of it with homes, very close to that HWY, not so sure that would be an easy task as well.  Not sure what the hold up on that is, nor why talk of it has since been quieted. 

  • Anonymous

    First we had a business route, then came a by-pass. Now, one knows what a mess that has become! Just please, think ahead.

  • Anonymous

    There’s no issue with Hwy 18. The only “issue” here is money…funds…is this really necessary? The topography around Port Gibson makes building a bypass a very expensive proposition. A bypass around Port Gibson means a longer route. There’s feasibility studies. There’s land and right-of-way to acquire…and PAY FOR. There’s extra construction costs for the additional miles necessary for the bypass. So much expense for so little return. Can we, the taxpayers, afford this extra expense…to save maybe 5 minutes passing through Port Gibson? I think not…but then again, I’ve built four lane highways and know what it takes to build one.

  • Anonymous

    IN MY OPINION:  HWY 18 should be made into a 4 lane HWY.  IN YOUR OPINION:  There’s no issue with HWY 18.  You see, yep, It’s just that simple.  Opinions ARE indeed like noses and since everyone has one, OPINIONS aren’t necessarily right or wrong.  I have spoken to many people on many occassions, especially when there WAS talk of making HWY 18 into a 4 lane HWY, that it was a great idea and many couldn’t wait for it to happen, but then that talk ceased.  Still doesn’t mean a person’s opinion that it should be made into a 4 lane HWY, makes them any less than your opinion that nothing is wrong with HWY 18.  Good evening.

  • Anonymous

    You’ve got to be kidding. For Real??? Four lane Hwy 18??? Huh? Why not four lane Hwy 33, Hwy 28 and Hwy 24 too? Yea, that’s the ticket…let’s just four lane every highway and byway….and break ranks with sanity and four lane the Natchez Trace Parkway too.

    Four laning Hwy 18 serves exactly what purpose?

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