A city contractor has erected temporary fencing a block east of Main Street on U.S. 90, signalling that work will be underway shortly on thenew pedestrian overpass that will link the two new soon-to-open hotels, the Watermark and Hilton Garden Inn, with the areas south of U.S. 90: the Biloxi waterfront, Guice Park, the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor and Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
The $2.4 million walkway is expected to be complete in Summer 2019.
The good news is that, although work will reduce busy U.S. 90 down to one eastbound and one westbound lanes at times at U.S. 90 and Main Street, the lane closures will not be continuous nor every day. In fact, under the MDOT-approved traffic plan, intermittent lane closures, for the most part, will be limited to Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
MDOT, by the way, reports that the walkway at Caillavet is expected to be completed in January, a month later than originally scheduled, because of weather delays.
Each of the walkways was designed by Leigh Jaunsen of the firm Dale Partners, and each has stairs and elevators at both ends.
The Caillavet Street walkway, part of the original MGM Park contract, is being funded by the state, and the harbor walkway is being overseen by the city and funded with money collected through a countywide port bond.
See renderings of the new walkway and the work site
See the walkway resolution OK’d in August
News & notes: Weekly report, photos, council, cemetery tours
The week that was: Last week, the Fire Department answered 145 calls for service, including 92 medical emergencies and one fire; the Police Department handled 2,260 calls for service; the Community Development Department issued 65 building permits with a construction valuation of more than $1.5 million; and the Engineering Department continued to progress on projects throughout the city. To see the reports covering last week, click here.
Costume ball photos: The Biloxi Parks & Recreation Department held its annual Special Needs Halloween Costume Ball on Friday evening at the Donal M. Snyder Sr. Community Center. To see images from the event, click here.
Wonderland photos: Biloxi Excel By 5, along with the City of Biloxi, Biloxi Public Schools and the IP, hosted Take a Trip to Wonderland on Saturday for ages five and younger. To see some images from the event, click here.
Council meeting: The Biloxi City Council will hold a special called meeting on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. at Biloxi City Hall to discuss the issuing of $14 million in general obligations public improvement bonds. To see the agenda, click here.
Cemetery tours: The second and last tour of the 12th annual Old Biloxi Cemetery Tour will take place on Tuesday evening from 5 to 7 p.m. The event was postponed from last week because of the inclement weather. To see the event flyer, click here. To see the program, click here.
