Changes come to Sela Ward Parkway project

Thomas Howard, The Meridian Star, Miss.
·2 min read

Nov. 21—A few changes need to be made to the ongoing revitalization project on Sela Ward Parkway, project leaders told the city council last week.

Up first, a change at the intersection of Front Street and 22nd Avenue is has been added to solve traffic jams caused by changes to the flow of traffic.

Project Manager Gabe Faggard, of Neel-Schaffer Engineering, told the council that eastbound traffic along Front Street would be changed to move traffic heading straight to the left lane. Currently, he said, the right lane is used for both right turning and straight traffic, which is causing traffic to back up during peak travel hours.

When complete, motorists will have a right turn only lane with traffic turning left and going straight in the left lane.

The council approved a change order increasing the project's cost by $14,926 for Webster Electric to reconfigure the traffic lights to match the new flow of traffic.

Faggard said in an email the changes will be made in stages with the city repainting the striping leading up to the intersection and Webster Electric changing the traffic signals and putting up new signs. Depending on lead time for materials, he said, the changes are expected to be complete in January or February.

Additionally, a sewer line replacement project along B Street uncovered some unforeseen utilities that forced the project to take a different approach when installing the new pipe.

Council members approved a change order increasing the cost of the project by $49,800 to pay the contractor for the additional work.

The B Street sewer line replacement was added to the Sela Ward Parkway revitalization project in June at a cost of about $400,000. Faggard previously told the council the sewer line would have to be replaced before paving on Sela Ward began.

The council voted to award the project under an emergency repair authorization, which allowed the city to bypass the 30-day bid process, which would have delayed the ongoing revitalization effort.

A section of Sela Ward Parkway between A Street and C Street has been closed for several weeks as the sewer line project is underway. The road was initially expected to reopen Nov. 2.

Work on the 22nd Avenue project is expected to wrap up in March 2023.