U.S. 90 motorists on Friday morning will see traffic cones in the center lanes of the highway from I-110 to DeBuys Road signaling the big news for beachfront motorists: Scrapin the Coast 2021 has arrived.
Public Works crews will begin placing the cones in the early morning hours, beginning at 3 a.m. Barricades also will be positioned near intersections should they be needed.
The annual three-day Scrapin the Coast, now in its 19th year at the Coast Coliseum, attracts a decidedly younger demographic than Cruisin’ the Coast, and the vehicles are trendier, with a heavy accent on those customized to ride lower to the ground, or “scrapin’.”
But, as is the case with Cruisin’ and Spring Break, U.S. 90 is the focal point of the event, with thousands of vehicles and spectators along U.S. 90, especially near the Coast Coliseum. The city, as a result, will use its standard traffic plan for major traffic-producing events on U.S. 90. Under the plan, if traffic becomes heavy and slow-moving, left turn lanes could be prohibited at non-signalized intersections, left lanes on U.S. 90 from I-110 to DeBuys Road could be reserved for emergency vehicles during peak traffic times, and in the event of gridlock, “venting” of traffic could occur, forcing motorists to I-110 or Cowan Lorraine Road.
Signs will be posted along the highway, and the city’s B-Alert service – text BILOXI to 99411 – will issue traffic advisories as needed throughout the weekend.
“Generally, we expect traffic to start picking up Friday evening around dinner time and remain heavy through the evening,” Biloxi Police Captain Brian Dykes said this morning. “Then you can expect traffic to pick back up Saturday morning around 10 with an uptick through to the evening. We’re asking people to expect traffic to be heavy and remember, patience, patience, patience.”
Added Dykes: “We want people to come and have a great time, but make sure it’s a safe time.”
Facebook: Scrapin the Coast
See the Scrapin the Coast traffic plan
News & notes: Bridge, chair, BNews
Bridge: The Popp’s Ferry bridge, which closed for repairs at 9 a.m. and was scheduled to re-open at 3 p.m., actually re-opened an hour early, at 2 p.m. To see photos of the issue that caused it all, click here.
Chair: The Biloxi Police Department this week set aside space in the lobby of the Lopez-Quave Public Safety Center for a dispay in memory of slain Biloxi Police Officer Robert McKeithen. To learn more about Saving A Hero’s Place and how the honor came to happen, visit the BPD Facebook page by clicking here.
BNews: The July edition of BNews Monthly will be arriving in homes and businesses across the city on Friday. To see the 28-page issue — with stories about the evolution of dockside gaming, a new pier proposed for West Biloxi, the July community calendar and more — click here.
