RANKIN COUNTY, MS (Mississippi News Now) -
The new Metro East Parkway will open in Rankin County, Wednesday. It runs from Mississippi Highway 25 at Old Fannin Road, south, for 2.5 miles, to El Dorado Road, down the east side of Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport.
The new roadway, complete with bike trails and sidewalks, opens up hundreds of acres of airport property for development.
In addition to being a badly needed additional north-south way to travel in Rankin County, it is expected to reduce traffic congestion on Highway 25 and Old Fannin Road.
Flowood Mayor Gary Rhoads says the Parkway is late opening because of the weather.
"Bert it's because of rain delays, I mean this the fourth wettest year since we have been keeping records, so, the National Weather Service is just right over there, so whatever rainfall that ya'll reported, was right here on top of this job," said Mayor Rhoads. "The contractors can't work when it rains so much,"
This road will eventually run from Mississippi 25, south along the east side of the airport, to interstate 20. The completion of that last leg from El Dorado Road to I-20 will cost $35 million dollars and they don't know where the money is coming from.
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