Mayor A.J. Holloway said late this afternoon that he is troubled by news that a proposal to construct a new U.S. 90 bridge linking Biloxi and Ocean Springs is still being debated in some quarters.
WLOX-TV told Holloway this afternoon that Ocean Springs Mayor Connie Moran had withdrawn her support for a proposed six-lane high-rise bridge that had been expected to be under construction in a matter of weeks and partially open to motorists Thanksgiving ’06.
Holloway said he thought the issue over the design of the bridge had been resolved several weeks ago, after MDOT leaders addressed many of Moran’s concerns, including the color of concrete to be used, and the addition of landscaping and a lane for bicyclists.
“It’s ironic that this news comes today, on the very day that the one bridge we DO have into Biloxi has been backed up with traffic headed into the city,” Holloway said, referring to the Interstate 110 bridge. “And this traffic issue is going to be exacerbated next week when we’ll have two more casino resorts re-opening.
“This is not good news for our recovery effort. It’s not good news for the state recovery effort. And it’s especially not good news for the thousands of people who have been waiting to get back to work.
“This stalemate is something that people feared ever since the debate over this bridge was revived. When you have people waffling and flip-flopping, you’re going to have hold-ups like this, and it’s just a real shame.”
