One major road project in Madison County received support from the state, while another is getting closer to beginning construction.
At the April 5 supervisor’s meeting, it was announced that the Bozeman Road widening project would receive $5 million dollars in bonds. Representative Jill Ford and Senator Walter Michel secured this money from the state in the 2021 legislative session. They secured a total of $11 million. It breaks down to $5 million for Bozeman Road starting at 463, $2 million for Ridgeland Connector Road, $750,000 for the intersection at 463 and Stribling, $750,000 for a new fire truck for the Madison Super Site, $700,000 to Pearl River Valley Water Supply District to assist in dredging, $500,000 for the city of Madison’s road through the new “City Center”, and $100,000 for maintenance on the Ridgeland Craft Center.
The $5 million secured for the Bozeman Road widening project is around 20 percent of the total funding needed for the project; $24.5 million.
The Bozeman Road widening project will widen the section from Highway 436 to Reunion Parkway into five lanes.
“We just have a whole bunch of traffic going through there where we are trying to alleviate congestion. We’re only widening Bozeman from 463 to Reunion Parkway, that section will be a five lane section and look similar to Highland Colony,” said County Engineer Tim Bryan.
Improving the intersection of Bozeman Road and Gluckstadt Road has been discussed but there are no concrete plans right now.
“North of there, from Reunion to Gluckstadt, it will stay two lane. But when we get to the intersection at Gluckstadt, we will widen it out with turns lanes in an effort to alleviate the build up of traffic right there. It has been discussed but there are no plans.”
Bryan said a construction bid could go out in 2023.
“I would imagine Bozeman Road would be sometime in early ‘23. We still have right of way left to purchase. After we get that we have to move utilities, which could take a year.”
A contract for construction on the Reunion Crossing Project could soon go out for bid if the county achieves two goals.
First, they have to acquire all of the right of way.
“For Reunion phase three, we have four pieces of property in a family trust that we are about to go into eminent domain with.”
After the county acquires the necessary right of way, they will send the plans to MDOT which will likely take several months.
“We hope in early 2022 to go to construction.”
After MDOT approves the plans, the county engineering department must review the plans for the bridge. That is phase two of the project. They will send the plans to the engineers designing the bridge. After that, they will submit the plans to MDOT, who must review the bridge over I-55 to make sure it meets their standards. MDOT will eventually build ramps from the bridge down to the interstate.
