The Popp’s Ferry bridge will close to motorists and pedestrians Friday night beginning at 10 so city contractors can replace the generator and underwater cable that power the raising and lowering of the bridge span.
The bridge could be closed for as long as eight hours, until 6 a.m. Saturday. Said City Engineer Christy LeBatard: “We’re hoping our local contractor, K.R. Borries, can get the work done in a few hours, but they have an eight-hour window to deal with any issues.”
The bridge’s span will be in the raised position during most of the work, so the waterway will remain open to marine traffic.
The $1.27 million project was approved by the City Council in May. The initial phases of the work involved manufacturing a generator and the power cable, which the contractor will be installing Friday night.
The latest traffic counts from Gulf Regional Planning Commission show that about 20,000 vehicles travel the Popp’s Ferry bridge on an average day. The work is being done in the evening and pre-dawn hours to minimize inconvenience to motorists.
Caught on camera: Popp’s Ferry update, MLK preview
The pending work on the Popp’s Ferry bridge and a preview of the upcoming MLK Day Celebration and Battle of the Bands were among the topics at the City Council meeting this afternoon.
The meeting, conducted at City Hall, ran for less than a half hour.
Video: See today’s City Council meeting
Sidewalk project in the works for Woolmarket
The City of Biloxi and the Mississippi Department of Transportation are signing an agreement that could see a million dollars worth of sidewalks in the Woolmarket community.
The new ADA-compliant sidewalks, which could be under construction this time next year, would run from the intersection of Woolmarket Road and Lorraine Road, north on Lorraine Road to the Nature’s Trail subdivision, and from the intersection of Woolmarket Road and Lorraine Road east along Woolmarket Road to Airport Road.
The 10-foot-wide sidewalks, which would be constructed in existing right of way, would cover 6,500 linear feet, or more than a mile.
“It’s all about public safety and having a walkable community in a growing part of our city,” said Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich. “We certainly appreciate MDOT and the Federal Highway Administration for helping make this project happen, and we look forward to getting this project started.”
A Memorandum of Understanding being signed between MDOT and the city will set in motion funding of up to $880,000 in MDOT and Federal Highway Administration money, with the city contributing a 20 percent match, or about $176,000, from the city. Biloxi’s share of the funding will come from a pending $14 million infrastructure improvements bond that will fund a host of projects citywide.
Once MDOT approves Biloxi’s design documents the project can be advertised and bids accepted. Work could begin by late fall 2019 and be completed in early 2020.
See a map of the planned sidewalk work