Casino Row traffic plan goes into effect Thursday

Traffic on U.S. 90 at Casino Row will go from eight lanes to four lanes beginning Thursday morning about 6:30 as the city begins installing major drainage lines under the highway.

Two eastbound and two westbound lanes will be open from Oak Street to Myrtle Street, and police officers will help keep traffic moving during morning and afternoon rush hours, and as needed. At the outset of the project, all traffic will use the four northernmost lanes of the highway.

About 40,000 cars per day use this stretch of U.S. 90, according to Gulf Regional Planning Commission traffic counts.

Construction workers will be on the job 16 to 20 hours a day, and possibly 24 hours a day, in hopes of completing the U.S. 90 portion of the work in 21 days.

“We’re going to do everything we can to minimize the inconvenience to motorists and businesses in the area,” Mayor A.J. Holloway said. “But this is a major job and we need to make these improvements to help drainage north of the highway along Pine and First streets.”

The $2.5 million project involves adding a three-foot by five-foot drainage system from south of U.S. 90 near Pine Street to First Street, which is a block north of the highway. The overall project is expected to take 90 days.