STARKVILLE — The future of South Montgomery Street could rest in federal and state transportation funds.
More than 50 residents attended a public meeting Monday, where consultants Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. and Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. presented findings from a traffic study on the 2.7-mile stretch between Poorhouse Road and Academy Road.
The stretch has been a hot spot for accidents, as Mississippi Department of Transportation data shows 33 total wrecks from 2008-2010. Sixteen have been rear-end accidents due to the bottle neck that occurs during peak traffic hours — mainly in the morning.
The consultants presented a pair of options to remedy the traffic congestion. Both include creating three lanes — with a turn lane in the middle — out of the two lanes that currently exist. Both options also call for constructing bike and walking paths to balance auto, pedestrian and biking transportation modes.
No price tag was included in the presentation, but it’s likely that without federal or state aid any construction projects on South Montgomery Street would be added to the city’s master list of infrastructure projects, which aldermen are currently finalizing for a five-year capital improvements plan.
The city recently accepted a bid to widen Louisville Street to three lanes from Highway 12 to Academy Road. The project costs $1.7 million, and the city matched an MDOT grant with 20 percent of the funds.
“Certainly, having the pedestrian and bike component opens up the opportunity for more grants,” said Edward Kemp, city engineer. “There are a few opportunities through MDOT, but we’ll have to see what direction the board takes after we complete the study in the next couple of weeks.”
Kemp said the consultants reviewed the city’s comprehensive plan of land use and future growth patterns in its study and suggested constructing an east-west road connecting South Montgomery, Mississippi State University and Highway 25. Currently, the quickest way to access Mississippi State from South Montgomery is to take Lincoln Green Street, about a quarter mile north of Academy Road. At that point, the South Montgomery widens from two lanes to four.
The consultants also suggest requiring construction of sidewalks in new developments along South Montgomery, including sidewalks from neighborhoods to schools.
In the two recommended solutions for South Montgomery, one includes installing bike and walking paths on each side. The paths would account for more than 23 feet of new space, leaving the car lanes 11 feet wide each way.
The other model has a bike and walking path on one side of the road, leaving 13 feet of width for each vehicle lane. The turn lane, in both instances, would be 10 feet wide. The consultants recommend the city work with Starkville in Motion to hash out pedestrian and bike paths.
“The study was very detailed, especially the capacity analysis,” Kemp said. “The response from the people who turned out was pretty positive. I think a lot of people left very interested in the ideas they presented.”
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