Downtown Natchez streets get makeover

Published 12:00 am Friday, March 11, 2011

NATCHEZ — Some downtown Natchez streets received asphalt overlays Thursday as part of a county project.

Mark Godfrey, whose company W.E. Blain and Sons is the contractor for the overlay work, said at Monday’s Adams County Board of Supervisors meeting he wanted to begin work on streets near Stanton Hall in order to get the job finished before tourists flood the area for Spring Pilgrimage.

The work is part of the Adams County Board of Supervisors $2.4 million, four-year road plan.

Email newsletter signup

The road list consists of priority roads from each district submitted by the district’s supervisor.

District 1 Supervisor Mike Lazarus said he chose the worst roads in his district to receive overlays and did not exclude those within the city limits.

“I’m glad (the county) can do some city streets,” Lazarus said.

The city will have to maintain the roads within city limits that are paved by the county according to an inter-local agreement made last year between the two government boards, board attorney Bobby Cox said at a Sept. 30 supervisors meeting.

District 2 Supervisor Henry Watts asked at Monday’s meeting why the overlays are being completed out of order and why the project has taken much longer than expected.

The project was originally slated for completion before the end of 2010.

Godfrey said cold and wet weather conditions account for much of the delays.

Watts asked why no roads in District 2 were completed, as scheduled.

Godfrey said he had not received purchase orders for roads in District 2, which surprised Watts.

Godfrey said approximately $1 million of the project’s budget has been spent so far, and if weather conditions are favorable, all overlays could be complete in approximately 30 to 40 days.

The following areas are included in the county road project, some which have already been completed:

• Area one, Elgin, includes Dunbar Road from Elgin Drive to the end, Aberdeen Road from Dunbar Road to the end of the road and Stirling Road from Aberdeen to the end of the road.

• Area two, Hutchins Landing, includes Applewood, Plumwood, Dorsey, Canebreak, Persimmon, Crabapple, Oak and Smithland Plantation roads, as well as sections of Hutchins Landing Road and Petal Lane.

• Area three, Morgantown, includes the Booker Cul-de-sac, patching on Booker, Second Street patching and leveling, and sections of Soldier Retreat and Booker roads, Cottage Drive and Second Street.

• Area four, Forsythe, includes Mimosa and Dogwood drives, Power, Wisteria and Barth streets, Redbud Lane and sections of Myrtle Avenue and Kings Lane.

• Area five, nearby U.S. 61 North, includes sections of Foster Mound Road and Roosevelt roads and Traceway and Parkway drives.

• Area six, Bryandale, includes sections of Ratcliff Place and Benbrook and Farr roads.

• Area seven, the Cranfield area, will include Old U.S. 84 No. 3, paving at the Windy Hill church and sections of Cardinal, Dunbarton, Chance, Sandpiper and Pheasant roads.

• Area eight, the Kingston area, includes sections of Springfield, Upper Kingston, Clifford, Stinespring, Magnolia Acres and Whispering Pines roads.

• Area nine, Marblestone, includes sections of Marblestone Alley and Brookview Drive.

• Area 10, downtown, includes all of Bob Lee Williams Lane and sections of East Woodlawn, Garden, Beaumont, North Pearl, Commerce, Harrison and South Union streets.

• Area 11, the Woodhaven area, includes all of Stahlman Street, and parts of Duster Drive and Quail Creek.

• Area 12, Oakhurst Subdivision, includes Old Pond Road, Bayou Lane and Oakhurst and Somerset drives.