United States Senator Roger Wicker and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann joined officials from the City of Hattiesburg on August 1 for a beam-signing ceremony to commemorate the start of construction on the Hall Avenue West Overpass, one of two projects that is designed to alleviate traffic in through downtown Hattiesburg.
The project, which in 2020 received a $13.22 million federal Better Utilizing to Leverage Development grant from the Mississippi Department of Transportation, will see the construction of an overpass over the western portion of Hall Avenue that will connect with West Pine Street. That BUILD grant, one of the largest grants in Hattiesburg’s recent history, joins the $5.39 million in federal funding from the department’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant that the city received in the earlier part of 2020 for the construction of a Hall Avenue East Overpass.
“When you factor in what’s going on at the other end of Hall Avenue – which will be complete in the next six to eight months, if not sooner – this project is nothing short of transformative,” Mayor Toby Barker said. “We hope this project is one that you’re proud of, one that you can go back to your federal DOT partners and others and let them know that Hattiesburg hit all of its deadlines in terms of designs, environmental property and acquisition.
“This is a project that our citizens supported … because after it’s built, gone are the days when these neighborhoods are completely cut off from other parts of the city when a train is across the tracks. With this project, we are truly bridging divides.”
Because of inflation, supply chain demands and rising construction costs after the award was announced in 2020, bids for a $13 million dollar overpass project grew to $24 million. To help accommodate the difference in funding, the city is leaning on the funding stream that stems from the Mississippi Infrastructure Modernization Act.
The act is provided to give cities a growing revenue stream from the state’s Use Tax – otherwise known as the Internet Sales Tax – and the flexibility to use it on similar infrastructure projects. The comprehensive project of the western portion includes an extension of Hall Avenue in the form of an overpass for the Canadian National line.
“This is building up the great heartland of America in a historic city, the Hub City,” Wicker said. “I’m thrilled.”
When the overpass projects were announced, officials said there are 22 “at-grade” rail crossings without alternate paths if they are blocked. Additionally, the Hub City is home to a switching yard for a three-point turn system for two national rail lines: Canadian National and Norfolk Southern.
That often results in multiple delays of 20 minutes or more every day.
“This is something we’ve needed; there’s been a dire need for this for quite some time,” Ward 5 Councilman Nick Brown said.
This project will complement the Hall Avenue East Overpass project, which is being constructed ver the Canadian National rail line on the east end of Hall Avenue, beginning in the East Jerusalem neighborhood at East Hardy Street and turning west before passing over the rail line and ending at Bay Street and Hall Avenue. The Hall Avenue section will consist of two lanes, a curb and gutter, a new drainage system and improvements to lighting and landscaping.
A traffic signal also will be installed at the intersection of East Hardy and Gulfport streets. Gulfport Street will be completely rebuilt as part of the project.
