A 1-mile road that will connect Popp’s Ferry to the beach may lead to a toll-free bridge
Biloxi now has the money to build a Popp’s Ferry Extension road that will connect to the beach, open a new corridor for development and make it easier to secure future funding for a new Popp’s Ferry Bridge without tolls.
The new road will be less than 1 mile long, but will make big difference for drivers heading to the beach or attending events at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and for residents of the area who deal with the heavy traffic.
On Tuesday, the Biloxi Council will be asked to approve a $3 million grant from the Gulf Coast Restoration Fund, approved by the state legislature, to apply toward the $27 million project that has been in the works for years.
Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich said the city soon will go out for bids to start construction.
In 2016, the Mississippi Department of Transportation chose the route that was the most economical and most popular with residents. The Federal Highway Administration approved the plans the same year.
Since then, the city bought property for the new road and received several grants, but still needed more to cover the cost, which has more than doubled in nearly seven years.
Biloxi requested $9.6 million in Gulf Coast Restoration money from the state legislature but was awarded $3 million. Harrison County will kick in $2 million toward construction of the $27 million project.
“Some of that has already been spend on right-of-way acquisition, engineering, design and environmental impact studies,” said Cecilia Dobbs Walton, Biloxi public affairs manager.
The route
The Popp’s Ferry extension is eight-tenths of a mile from Pass Road to U.S. 90, west of the Coliseum.
Where Popp’s Ferry Road now ends at Pass Road, it will cross Pass Road and continue south between Walgreen’s and Burger King. A veer to the west will take the new road away from the Coast Coliseum parking garage, and it will turn slightly east just before connecting to Beach Boulevard.
The new road will have an on-grade railroad crossing, similar to Caillavet Street, rather than a bridge over the train tracks, which would have cost millions more to build.
In order to get CSX Transportation approval for the one new railroad crossing, Biloxi agreed to close three crossings at Dorries, Nixon and Holley Streets in East Biloxi, where the crossings are very close together.
The impact & the bridge
The announcement of a new Rouse’s Market near the corner of Pass and Popp’s Ferry is the first major economic impact of the new road, the mayor said.
“The development is a direct result of our plans to extend Popp’s Ferry to U.S. 90, making the area a major corridor connecting communities east and west and north and south of the bay,” Gilich said.
It also opens up land along the new corridor for development and greater possibility of landing funding to build a new Popp’s Ferry Bridge, Walton said.
The city had explored the possibility of contracting with United Bridge Partners to replace the 40-year-old Popp’s Ferry Bridge with a new one and recover the construction cost with tolls.
Public outcry led Gilich to announce in March 2022 that that there is “inadequate support” in Biloxi for a new Popp’s Ferry bridge financed by tolls
Instead, he said, the city will will focus on other ways to replace the bridge, which is owned by the city. Once Popp’s Ferry Road connects to federal highway U.S. 90, Biloxi is expected to have a better chance of getting funding to help build a bridge, Gilich said.
