Work zone barriers in place on Fortification St.JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
Drivers who use Fortification Street in Jackson can expect things to get worse before they get better. Fortification St. between Jefferson Street and Greymont Avenue is getting ready to undergo some major changes in preparation for the long-awaited re-construction project.
According to the city, starting Thursday and continuing through Friday, the street maligned by motorists will be reduced to one lane going in each direction between Jefferson and Greymont.
In addition, traffic will be shifted to the north side of the street and the lanes will be more narrow. The change in traffic will allow workers to start removing bad soil from under Fortification St.
The traffic shift will also allow for the installation of new utility lines.
City officials had an official groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of the plan which includes reconstructing 1.2 miles of Fortification St. from Short Farish St. to Greymont Ave.
The overall project includes replacing water and sewer mains, constructing and replacing sidewalks, adding a turn lane, replacing traffic signals and moving all utilities underground.
City officials say the traffic shift could last up to seven months. The total project will take about 18 months to complete.
Drivers are advised to drive carefully and watch out for workers.
Copyright 2012 WLBT. All rights reserved.
WLBT 3 - Fox 40
