A PROPOSED RIDGELAND-Madison interchange should relieve an imminent increase in traffic on and around I-55 between north Jackson and Madison after the opening of Renaissance, Madison County Board of Supervisors President Tim Johnson said.

“I think the traffic will be tremendous,” he said. “I’m sure (officials) will want the diamond interchange scheduled to be built between Madison and Ridgeland to be opened. Hopefully, Highland Colony can handle traffic coming off the interstate at Old Agency Road and it won’t create too much of a burden.”

The $150 million Mississippi Department of Transportation project would also add frontage roads and connector roads in or near Madison and Ridgeland.

Financed through MDOT’s Highway Enhancements through Local Partnerships, or HELP, program, the Federal Highway Administration signed an agreement with the state agency to reimburse it for about 85 percent of the debt service on bonds for Madison County.

MDOT Central District Commissioner Dick Hall did not return calls for comment.

THE SPLIT-DIAMOND interchange is expected to relieve traffic from Old Agency Road to Mississippi 463. With construction of an interchange at Reunion Parkway connecting to U.S. 51 in Madison expected to be complete in 2010, work on an interchange at Gluckstadt should begin thereafter.

“In the next five to seven years, between Old Agency Road and Gluckstadt Road, we’ll have (several) new interchanges,” Johnson said. “It’s going to hopefully provide a lot of traffic relief in Madison County. Reunion will be a truly east-west corridor from 463 to 51.”

Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee said he doesn’t expect traffic flow to become a problem in Ridgeland while awaiting construction of the interchanges.

“We have taken steps to see that traffic will continue to move in an orderly fashion n new lanes on Highland Colony Parkway, new traffic signals and a new frontage road,” he said. “Also, a nice right-in-only off of Old Agency Road will allow traffic to enter (Renaissance) nicely as well as the new entrances off the frontage road.”

According to MDOT, more than 17,000 travel Mississippi 463 each day. More than 42,000 travel U.S. 51 between Madison and Ridgeland to Gluckstadt every day.

Ward 5 Alderman Scott Jones said work on the split-diamond interchange is in the design phase.

“It’s going to be a work in progress,” he said. “Definintely, that interchange should help. We’re probably just going to have to monitor (traffic), but I haven’t seen any problems” after Renaissance opened March 19.

Jones said HELP allowed work on the interchange to be expedited.

“Probably five to seven years ago, this thing was way down the radar screen, but it’s been pushed closer and closer. And there’s no question in my mind being able to get from Old Canton Road to I-55 through that new Ridgeland-Madison interchange is going to be big.”