MS: Ribbon cutting Tuesday for Senatobia bypass
Chris Lawrence
Mississippi 4 between I-55 in Senatobia and U.S. 61 south of Tunica
(including a short multiplex with MS 3 and an eventual interchange
with proposed Interstate 69). The project is 2.5 km long, and will be
built a couple of miles south of the existing MS 4 (bypassing
Senatobia to the south). It's unclear if there are eventual plans to
connect this part of the bypass back to MS 4 east of town, or if MS 4
will have a short multiplex with I-55.
http://www.gomdot.com/news/news/newsDetail.aspx?referrer=home&id=516200334902
"According to Transportation Commissioner Zack Stewart, ceremonies
commemorating the beginning construction of the Highway 4 "Senatobia
Bypass" in Tate County are scheduled for 10 a.m., Tuesday, May 20,
near Holmes Road south of the Senatobia Industrial Park on Scott
Street.
Senatobia Mayor Alan Callicott will serve as master of ceremonies and
the public is invited to attend.
Stewart said this project was awarded in April of this year to
T. L. Wallace Construction Inc., of Columbia, Miss., with a low bid of
$18.7 million.
"This project provides for the grading, draining and paving of four
lanes of Highway 4 on a new location," Stewart said. "The project will
begin at Shands Bottom Road, go westward over Interstate Highway 55
with a new interchange and then connect to Highway 51." He said the
estimated completion date for this project is Fall of 2005.
Chris
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Chris Lawrence <ch...@lordsutch.com> - http://blog.lordsutch.com/
Chris Lawrence
> This project is the first stage of the long-term plan to four-lane
> Mississippi 4 between I-55 in Senatobia and U.S. 61 south of Tunica
> (including a short multiplex with MS 3 and an eventual interchange
> with proposed Interstate 69). The project is 2.5 km long, and will be
> built a couple of miles south of the existing MS 4 (bypassing
> Senatobia to the south). It's unclear if there are eventual plans to
> connect this part of the bypass back to MS 4 east of town, or if MS 4
> will have a short multiplex with I-55.
I just got back from the "ribbon cutting" (actually it was
shovelling). Nothing particularly exciting; the new interchange will
be a few hundred yards north of Country Club Road, about 1.5 miles
south of the existing I-55 @ MS 4 interchange. Not sure how they plan
to route traffic once this is done, since it will be disconnected from
the through MS 4 route until further construction is done. However,
there are plans to build a connection from the east side of the
interchange to existing MS 4.
Zack Stewart, the northern district transportation commissioner, also
indicated that MDOT plans to four-lane U.S. 51 between Senatobia and
Coldwater starting sometime next year, as well as realigning 14 miles
of MS 4 east of Senatobia (my guess is that it will be built as 2
lanes on a 4 lane ROW).
After the ceremony, I took a drive on MS 4 east to Holly Springs and
Ashland.
- Since I seem to have lost my old picture of the abandoned old MS 4
shield off Laws Hill Rd, I took a new one.
- There's some utility work underway along the MS 4 & MS 7 multiplex;
not sure if this has to do with any planned widening (it's definitely
needed).
- Grading is well underway for what appears to be a relocation of MS 4
around the north side of Holly Springs.
- MS 5 has "Scenic Route" tabs on its reassurance markers, instead of
using the blue oval used for other scenic routes. It is pretty
scenic, too.
- The southern MS 4/5 split has recently been reconstructed and
realigned. Several other spots on MS 5 south to Hickory Flat have
been realigned too.
- Took US 78 back to Holly Springs; I'm not sure if I'd ever driven
the 11 miles between exits 30 and 41 (probably, but I honestly don't
remember).
- Drove through Abbeville to look for old signs on the former MS 7
alignment. Nothing notable.
- New traffic signal at the intersection on Old MS 7 outside the
Lafayette Industrial Park. I think it's the only traffic signal
outside the Oxford city limits in the county.