PASCAGOULA, Mississippi — The $23 million first phase of the U.S. 90-Industrial Road flyover project is coming to a close, MDOT area engineer Gabe Faggard said today, and the $13.6 million second phase is set to begin mid-March.
The large road project — funded through local, state and grant funds — connects Miss. 63 to Miss. 611, bypassing U.S. 90 and the CSX railroad.

The first phase, which includes roadwork along Miss. 63 from Frederick Street south to Old Mobile Highway, realignment work and the overpass itself, should be complete by next week.

“Right now, the paving contractor is paving along 90, and we also have the sign contractor putting up the overhead signs,” Faggard said. “The overhead signs are going up around 7 p.m. tonight to show you how to get on and off the ramps.”

Other crews are preparing roadways for restriping and doing final touch-up work on the flyover bridge.

“The project is definitely in the final stages,” he said. “We hope to have all traffic in the new configuration on all the ramps by the end of next week.”

Lighting has been installed under the overpass, and high-mast lighting also surrounds the interchange.

The second phase of the major road project is to five-lane Industrial Road from Old Mobile Highway to the LNG facility. That phase is set to begin March 13 and should be complete in June 2015.

The project is meant to make commutes more efficient through east Jackson County’s industrial corridor and boost safety at the railroad crossing.

“With the large number of employees traveling that route every day and with the large amount of truck traffic going in and out to Chevron and other industries, eliminating that railroad crossing will definitely improve not only the efficiency of travel but will also greatly reduce the chance of side collisions with traffic and the CSX railroad,” Faggard said.

The years-long construction project — which was more than a decade in the making — has presented some challenges to MDOT.

“It was a very complex process trying to open up just a portion of the interchange while leaving another portion on the old route, but it was necessary to do it that way simply because a big portion of the interchange is constructed on top of where the old road was located,” Faggard said. “We had to open in phases in order to keep traffic moving.”The highly-traveled Miss. 611 industrial corridor is home to Chevron Corp.’s Pascagoula refinery, a Rolls-Royce propeller center, First Chemical Corp. and Mississippi Phosphates Corp., among other businesses.

http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2014/02/first_phase_of_east_jackson_co.html

The 29 Bypass that is scheduled to open next week connects Hwy. 590 to Hwy. 29. Ellisville based company, Tanner Construction began the $12 million project in October 2011.

MDOT officials say the 2.5 mile long project included construction of a 2,000 ft. bridge.

Ellisville Mayor Tim Waldrup said the new bypass serves several purposes.  One is creating an alternate route for about 500 log trucks that usually pass through the City of Ellisville daily.

“This is going to be a great addition,” Waldrup said.  “I hope we can not only get rid of the trucks coming through the city, but also this will be a new economic corridor available in Ellisville, and I think the way we’re growing it will be filled before too many years.”

State Representative Bobby Shows explained that when Waldrup was the VP of Student Affairs at JCJC, he and the former president, Dr. Ronald Whitehead went to Washington seeking funds for the project.  Former Congressman Gene Taylor was able to grant them $3.5 million for the project, but it never took off.

“When Tom King ran for Highway Commissioner he said ‘I will get it done,’ so I said, ‘You will be my man,” Shows told the crowd.

“I see more than a road out here,” King said.  “I see economic development.”

His promise was fulfilled as officials cut the ribbon to the new roadway that also provides another main entrance onto JCJC’s campus.

“One of our biggest concerns any day is safety for our students coming in and out of campus, and it’s very congested in the mornings and the afternoons primarily, but this is definitely a safer alternative,” Jones President Jesse Smith said

He added this also provides the college with room to expand in the future.

 Originally Posted: Sep 24, 2013 6:56 PM CDT  Updated: Nov 19, 2013 10:22 AM CST