The Mississippi Department of Transportation will hold a public hearing on Thursday to seek input on planned improvements at two interchanges in Columbus.
The meeting, which is scheduled for 4-6 p.m. Thursday in the public reception area in City Hall, will focus on proposed improvements to the interchanges at Highway 82 and North 18th Avenue, as well as Highway 82 and Military Road. Citizens can come at any time during the two-hour period to view the department’s plans and speak to MDOT representatives about design, right-of-way and environmental issues.
Mike Tagert, MDOT’s commissioner for the Northern District, said the department has been planning to improve the interchanges to solve traffic issues.
“Both of those locations, because of increased traffic and development, are failing us at their current level of infrastructure,” Tagert said. “What we’re proposing at each is very different, but both are designed to enhance safety at these interchanges and improve congestion.”
At Military Road, Tagert said MDOT is considering roundabouts that can handle passenger and industrial traffic.
The 18th Avenue interchange, he said, is more complicated. The intersection is near the Chick-Fil-A, and prone to traffic backing up the southbound exit ramp onto the highway.
Tagert said MDOT is looking at adding dual-right turn lanes on the southbound exit, due to the high volume of right-turn traffic at the intersection. He said MDOT may also add new mast-arm traffic signals.
MDOT picked the interchanges due to safety concerns, and Tagert said much of the design work is done.
“We’ve done some safety audits throughout the city and found these are two areas we’d like to improve,” he said. “We’ve done the design on this, and we’re to the stage now where we have something to show the public and, in fact, need the public’s input.
“As always, it’s an open process,” Tagert added. “There may be some local information there that we’re not aware of, and that’s important to gather at this point.”
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