Page 20 - South Mississippi Living - June, 2018

COASTNOTES
Two pedestrian bridges over busy Highway 90 are welcome additions
and will make these areas in Biloxi and Gulfport safer. The Biloxi bridge, which crosses the highway at the Caillavet Street intersection, is underway
and is a project of the Mississippi Department of Transportation. The expected total cost of the Gulfport bridge will be $9.8 million. A Federal Transit Administration grant of $2.6 million will help fund the first phase
of the project, including design
and engineering. Shuttle buses and pedestrians will use this 1,100-foot bridge, accessing it from 15th Street and connecting the Mississippi Aquarium and Gulf Transit Authority’s Multimodal Transportation Center to Jones Park. A construction start date and additional funding sources were
not available at press time.
MDOT Project Engineer Paula Wiles
says the $3.6 million Biloxi bridge is scheduled for completion in December but the contractor is hoping to finish earlier. The work began in February with prime contractor Malouf Construction of Greenwood.
“The bridge is 160 feet long and 8 feet wide. There will be two free standing structures (one on the north side of Highway 90 and one on the south side) to support the bridge. Each structure will have stairs and an elevator,”
she said. “The towers will be located in front of the Beau Rivage parking garage on the south side of Highway 90 and in front of the MGM parking garage on the north side.”
Biloxi Mayor FoFo Gilich said, “For years there has been talk of finding
a way to attract visitors from the thousands of hotels rooms south of Highway 90 to our downtown area. But first, we had to give them more to see and do, and I think we’re doing that with our restoration efforts.”
Planning for another elevated crossing in Biloxi is in the works in the area of Highway 90 near the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor, which Mayor Gilich says should begin construction by the end of the year.
Regarding the Gulfport bridge, U.S Senator Roger Wicker said, “This grant is great news for the people of Gulfport as they work to attract visitors and new businesses. The project has been years in the making, with local leaders putting forward a strong application that demonstrated the need for these federal resources.”
20 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • June 2018
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Bridges in Biloxi and Gulfport Will Make Crossing Highway 90 Safer
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