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NATCHEZ — The long-awaited Downtown Natchez traffic study likely will be the highlight of Tuesday’s meeting of the Natchez Mayor and Board of Aldermen.

The meeting is Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the Council Chambers, 115 S. Pearl St., Natchez, across from City Hall.

At the urging of the Downtown Natchez Alliance, the Board of Aldermen approved spending $29,320 to hire consultant Bert Kuyrkendall of TSW Design to study downtown traffic and make recommendations to enhance public safety while making the city more “walkable.”

The traffic study was completed in October 2024, but after being presented individually to aldermen, the mayor and to the Downtown Merchants Association, little more was heard about it.

At a special meeting of the mayor and aldermen on Jan. 31, Ward 4 Alderwoman Felicia Bridgewater Irving asked Mayor Dan Gibson about the status of the study.

The study recommends radical changes to downtown traffic, including removing traffic lights, replacing them with all-way stops, and moving from one-way to two-way traffic on Main and Franklin streets.

“Some who looked at the study have indicated some concern with some of the recommendations,” Gibson said. “Change is a hard thing … I received a lot of calls from members of our community and I am not getting a real warm and fuzzy feeling about moving forward.”

Ward 2 Alderman Billie Joe Frazier recommended the city hold a town hall meeting to present the study to the public for its input.

Gibson asked Downtown Natchez Alliance members to ask Kuyrkendall to attend Tuesday’s city meeting and present the study and be available for questions from aldermen.

Other items on Tuesday’s agenda include:

– approval to apply for a certified local government grant for a building project at the Natchez City Cemetery.

– a report on workforce development efforts in the area.

– approval of a change order on an emergency watershed program project on Martin’s Lane.

– approval of a quit claim deed for Forks of the Road site.

– acceptance of the low bid for replacement of a condenser and evaporator coil in the walk-in cooler at the Natchez Convention Center.

– acceptance of the low bid to replace the chill water pump at the Armstrong Library.

– approval to apply for a 2025 Mississippi Office of Highway Safety grant.

City Attorney Jack Lazarus is expected to give a report on a Silver Street lease and a Canal Street Bridge ordinance.

Mayor Dan Gibson will provide updates on the Homochitto Street and Canal Street paving projects and an update on the Morgantown Road project.