Three Northside streets could soon be repaved, thanks to the Hinds County Board of Supervisors.
The county recently approved paving four neighborhood streets in the capital city, including three in Northeast Jackson.
Included are Riverwood Drive from Old Canton Road to the dead end, Foxboro Drive from River Road to the dead end, and Sandlewood Drive from Will-O-Lake Drive to Beechwood Street.
District One Supervisor Robert Graham said work will begin once a memorandum of understanding (MOU) is approved by the city and the state.
The county must enter into an MOU to do work in the city limits. Once the documents are signed by the city and county, they are submitted to the attorney general for final approval.
Graham hopes work will begin by summer, if not sooner.
“It depends on how long it takes the city to sign them. Then, it comes back to the county and we have to send it to the attorney general,” he said. “Once we get him to sign off on it, then it comes back to us. Then, we program (the work) and set the streets for paving.”
Combined, the three projects will cost around $120,000, and are being paid for with proceeds from a $30 million bond.
Supervisors approved the bond last year, in large part, to repave streets.
“We’re trying to work with the city of Jackson to get as many roads paved as we can,” Graham said. “I’m trying to set up a meeting right now with the mayor (Chokwe Antar Lumumba) to make sure we’re not duplicating what they’re doing.”
Work will be done by a combination of private contractors and in-house crews. Crews will be working on streets in all districts.
Streets were chosen based on annual evaluations done by the supervisor himself.
Each year, supervisors are mandated by state law to drive every road in their respective districts.
Roadways are also chosen based on constituent concerns. Kaywood Drive, which is also on the Northside, is expected to be voted on by the board soon, after Graham received a call from a homeowner there.
“(She) said her road hasn’t been paved since her child was born and now the child is grown with children of his own,” he said. “That’s pretty bad.”
To find out more about the county’s street repaving program or to have your street added to the list, e-mail Graham at rgraham@co.hinds.ms.us.
