It’s easy to overlook progress and forget about it, but the city of Jackson has improved some of its most traveled streets in northeast Jackson in recent years.
Just drive along North State Street, Northside Drive, Pear Orchard Road, Old Canton Road and Lakeland Drive, and you’ll discover a smoother ride on widely traveled segments.
City of Jackson Public Works Director Charles Williams credits the 1 percent sales tax with providing a shot in the arm that has helped fund road projects since 2015. “It has helped,” he said.
Another boost has been the Hinds County Supervisors, whose funding is responsible for paving about 60 streets in northeast Jackson during the last two and a half years.
The 1 percent sales tax and interlocal agreements with the Hinds County Supervisors and the city of Jackson help stretch the $1 million the city annually budgets for road maintenance. The city employs 15-18 to handle road maintenance issues.
Williams said the focus on improving main routes will change to connector streets and residential streets after the main routes are improved.
The city prioritizes streets that need improvements, Williams said. Traffic volume, condition of the road surface and input from citizens are taken into account.
Lack of maintenance through the years have left the city’s roads needing repairs, Williams said. Poorly done maintenance jobs yield surprises such as curbs that have been covered, he said.
Ward One City Council member Ashby Foote gets grief about the condition of roads but he believes progress has been made, despite the fact that many streets in the city still need to be resurfaced and improved.
“We’ve got some of the artery roads like Northside Drive, North State Street and Ridgewood Road completed because of the 1 cent sales tax money,” he said.
Foote doesn’t discount citizens who get frustrated because the street they live on needs repairs.
“We’ve got to keep working at it,” he said. “People pay taxes and deserve to receive city services.”
Major improvements have been made on North State Street from Sheppard Road to Capitol Street, so that there’s smoother sailing.
In all, nearly $30.3 million in state, local and federal funds were allocated for North State repaving and reconstruction. A Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER Discretionary Grant project included rebuilding the roadway from Sheppard Road to Hartfield Street. Another $4.98 million was allocated to repave State from Fortification to Capital Street as part of the Capitol Complex Improvement District; and the Central Mississippi Planning and Development District awarded Jackson $1.6 million to repave the roadway from Sheppard Road north to Briarwood Drive.
Other streets improved include a section of Old Canton from Canton Mart Road to Ridgewood Road, Canton Mart Road from Old Canton to I-55 North, Northside Drive from Ridgewood to I-55, Jefferson Street from Carlisle Street to Poplar Boulevard and Pear Orchard Road from County Line Road to Old Canton.
Crews from Dickerson & Bowen are working to improve Old Canton Road between North Street and Meadowbrook Road should complete that job in the new year, Williams said. The project includes milling and overlaying the street, repairing sidewalks and creating a separate multi-use trail for pedestrian use.
