Sharp-eyed motorists on U.S. 90 in Biloxi may have noticed markings on the asphalt near storm drains, the first signal that MDOT is nearly ready to begin a major paving and repair project on the nine miles of highway between DeBuys Road and the Biloxi Bay Bridge.
Contractors are currently inspecting and videoing existing drain pipes and within the next couple of weeks will begin curb and sidewalk repairs, with paving to follow.
The $6.5 million project, which was awarded to Warren Paving and will include drainage work and new asphalt, is expected to be completed in May 2019.
And, yes, the Mississippi Department of Transportation is aware that more than 40,000 vehicles travel some sections of U.S. 90 on an average day and thousands of additional vehicles will be in town the first week in October for Cruisin’ the Coast.
MDOT says crews hope to limit lane closures to nighttime, Sunday through Thursday, between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m., and District Engineer Kelly Castleberry told The Biloxi-D’Iberville Press that although pavement may be uneven in some areas when Cruisin’ traffic arrives, “we will have the contractor get off the highway, and then be right back on the highway once Cruisin’ the Coast is finished.”
MDOT Public Information Officer Jas N Smith said paving will likely begin at the western end of the project, at DeBuys Road, and move eastward, but “there is the possibility that two paving crews will be mobilized from both ends of the project.”
See the MDOT traffic cameras
The inside story on NTSB’s bus-train crash report
The National Transportation Safety Board, after months of investigating the deadly bus-train accident in Biloxi in 2017, said CSX and the city should have taken action to resolve the issues at the crossing, but a six-page abstract of the report recommended that state and federal agencies need to develop specific guidelines for signage at dangerous crossings and develop criteria on when crossings need to be reconstructed.
In fact, the six-page report, delivered 18 months after the incident that killed four and injured 38 at the Main Street Crossing, had one recommendation for Biloxi in its 11 recommendations: the city should keep documentation – which the city already does – of groundings at rail crossings in Biloxi. Regarding troubled crossings, the report said, the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Rail Administration, along with state Departments of Transportation, should develop specific guidelines for signage and when a crossing should be reconstructed.
Those were some of the points brought out during an 11-minute discussion of the NTSB report during a segment on “WLOX News This Week” that aired Sunday morning.
Video: See the discussion of the NTSB report
News & notes: Weekly report, fire station 10, fall swimming lessons
The week that was: Last week, the Fire Department answered 138 calls for service, including 94 medical emergencies and two fires; the Police Department handled 2,441 calls for service; the Community Development Department issued 65 building permits with a construction valuation of more than $4.1 million; and the Engineering Department continued to progress on projects throughout the city. To see the reports covering last week, click here.
Fire Station 10: The Biloxi Fire Department will hold a ground breaking on Friday for its new station, Fire Station No. 10, to be located on Old Highway 67 just east of Cedar Lake Road. The ground breaking will be at 10 a.m. and is open to the public. To watch Fire Chief Joe Boney talk more about Station 10, click here.
Swimming lessons: Did you know that the Parks & Recreation Department conducts swimming lessons all year round? Well they do and today the Aquatics Division begin registration for the fall sessions. To see more about the lessons and view the schedule, click here.
