A future attempt to replace North Jackson Street road delineators with a concrete median may be negated by a lack of space for such an improvement, Mayor Parker Wiseman and Northern District Transportation Commissioner Mike Tagert said.
The delineators — small sticks placed in the middle of the road that prevent traffic from crossing in front of oncoming drivers at the Jackson Street-Highway 182 intersection, near the new Family Dollar — recently came under fire from Ward 6 Alderman Roy A. Perkins, who said the devices reduce the area’s aesthetics and could cause potential problems for drivers.
Last week, Perkins asked Wiseman to consult with Tagert about options to replace the devices, and Tagert confirmed he authorized Mississippi Department of Transportation engineers to begin studying the issue.
Tagert said workers have not yet measured the area, but it appears to be too narrow for raised medians.
Workers were previously able to install a raised median on South Montgomery Street, between Renasant Bank and The Balcony apartment complex, as a traffic-calming device because of the road’s width and two-lane capacity, Wiseman said.
The North Jackson Street thoroughfare is wider than its South Montgomery Street counterpart but handles two additional lanes of traffic.
“It’s not an ideal situation. The number of access points right there — there’s too many, and that’s why it’s creating issues of ingress and egress,” Tagert said. “We are going to identify the city’s options (since changes to the area must follow an MDOT permitting process). If they want a change, that’s fine.”
During last week’s meeting, Perkins showed a video displaying the delineators to his fellow board members. He drew attention to one stick, which was leaning slightly into traffic, and said future deterioration could exasperate the problem and damage a vehicle.
Many constituents, he said, have called him and expressed displeasure in the traffic devices.
“They are unsightly, not aesthetically pleasing and they do not enhance the beauty of that area,” Perkins said. “This is a high-profile area that’s well traveled. People here are coming in from businesses … other counties and all other places. This might be insignificant to some, but this is important. Starkville is our home. When it affects one, it affects all of us.”
Hwy. 12 work continues
By now, commuters are sure to have seen road crews at work on Highway 12.
MDOT’s safety improvement project began this winter with curb-cut work at the intersections of Highway 12 and Louisville Street, and Highway 12 and Stark Road, and work on the overall project is forecast to continue throughout most of 2017.
The curb-cut efforts, Tagert said, are widening the areas and will improve turning radiuses at the intersections.
Workers are expected to begin median and resurfacing efforts at the western half of the road and work their way east throughout the year. A similar improvement project is expected for the western half next year.
Lane closures are expected with the project, and Tagert said many of those efforts will occur at night when traffic congestion is at a minimum.
In all, the safety project will replace outdated, timed traffic signals with modern ones that communicate with each other across a fiber network; transition signal mounts from wires to mast arms; install center-lane medians along portions of the road; overlay the thoroughfare with a new coat of asphalt; add new turning lanes in strategic areas; and improve turning radiuses at intersections.
Highway 12, which is considered Starkville’s main commercial artery, will receive the drastic overhaul in an attempt to curb its high accident occurrence rate.
A previous MDOT study revealed 1,664 wrecks occurred over 6.8 miles of Highway 12 from January 2010 to June 2015. On average, the report estimated about 300 wrecks occur each year on the busy thoroughfare.
Median installations have drawn the most criticism from local businesses since MDOT announced the project last year.
After a public listening session in 2016, Tagert said the department reached out and visited with affected landowners who fear restricting turning-lane access will prevent customers from accessing their stores.
A large number of accidents recorded in MDOT’s study occurred when a vehicle attempted to turn left onto Highway 12 from another access road, crossing two oncoming lanes and the center turning lane before merging with its correct travel lane.
Along with new signal mast arms, the medians are expected to upgrade the area’s aesthetics. Tagert previously said MDOT will leave the installations as “a blank slate for the city” in terms of landscaping.
Aldermen approved $25,000 in this year’s fiscal budget for median landscaping costs with the understanding that the next board would allocate an additional $25,000 for the project.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.