With the historic Highway 82 bridge across the Tombigbee River in the background, Columbus Mayor Robert Smith Wednesday announced receipt of a $2 million grant to renovate the old bridge into a pedestrian walkway.
And officials thanked Northern District Transportation Commissioner Bill Minor and Mississippi Department of Transportation Executive Director Butch Brown for the many projects completed and planned for Columbus and Lowndes County.
The new grant, which the city applied for in 2008, will enable the bridge to be restored into a “vibrant centerpiece of downtown Columbus,” Smith said. MDOT previously spent $1.1 million to overlay city streets and is giving $3.4 million to pave Highway 182 from Plymouth Road to the Alabama state line, and has “committed to support” a Highway 45 bypass project, Smith added. A public hearing will be held in May before design, survey and land acquisition work will begin on the bypass project.
“Once the train starts up the track, it never turns around until they complete the project,” Smith said he was told of the bypass project, which is scheduled to be completed in 2020.
“We greatly appreciate the support (of MDOT),” he concluded, promising city officials will continue efforts to beautify the Riverwalk and downtown Columbus.
“They say Columbus, but actually Lowndes County is a partner,” city Federal Programs and Building Inspections Director George Irby said of the bridge restoration project, noting county officials committed to helping the city restore the bridge. “We”re thankful to the county for being a partner in this project.
“When you see people using it, you”ll say it was money well spent,” he added, referring to both the Riverwalk and the pedestrian bridge.
“There”s been a lot of things happening in Lowndes County that we”ve just taken for granted,” Lowndes County District 1 Supervisor and Board President Harry Sanders said. “(MDOT) has helped Lowndes County in more ways than you can imagine, from flowers (in medians) to trees to the visitors center to roads built. We can go on and on and on about the things MDOT has done for Lowndes County. And since Bill Minor has been our highway commissioner, we”ve gotten our share of the money.”
Other projects
The Lowndes County Port, which is the only port in the state operating on two shores, has received $2.3 million from MDOT for projects over the past nine years, noted Port Authority Director John Hardy, explaining roads have been overlaid, the Baldor Electric site purchased, industrial site dirt work completed and equipment bought with the money.
Terry Brown noted his district has received “more money than any other district in the state,” under the administrations of Minor and Butch Brown.
“I hope along the way we”ve proven we haven”t forgotten about Columbus and Lowndes County,” said Minor, noting he will run for re-election and giving credit to district engineers and their staffs for the success of various projects. “We”ve done a lot of work here in Lowndes County. I”ve enjoyed Lowndes County and I”ve enjoyed the people.”
“It”s our job to make transportation enhancements work for communities across the state,” said Butch Brown, who has served as MDOT executive director for nine years and thanked legislators for “fully” funding MDOT for those years.
MDOT partnership
MDOT funding and support has played a major role in transportation and job creation projects in Columbus and Lowndes County in recent months, including MDOT”s awarding, last week, of $2.91 million to replace two bridges on Highway 182 near the West Bank Port, city officials said, noting the bridge projects are “critical” in allowing heavy trucks to transport materials to and from Severstal and other major employers in the Lowndes County Industrial Park.
The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Authority also received $350,000 for a new transportation museum and MDOT has given more than $280,000, over the past 10 years, to support the Columbus Summer Youth Jobs program.
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