All the major work on the first phase of the State Route 12 Safety Improvement Project is complete, and the final adjustments on the project are underway.
Mississippi Department of Transportation District 1 engineer Mark Holley said every construction project undergoes a series of final adjustments before it is deemed officially complete.
“Crews will be working on these adjustments on State Route 12 over the next few weeks, but there will be minimal impact to traffic during this time,” Holley said.
According to Holley, crews will be making adjustments to the new traffic signals throughout the project.
“These fiber optics allow the signals to communicate with each other, providing the safest and most efficient flow of traffic,” Holley said.
MDOT Public Information Manager Jason Scott said the second phase of the Highway 12 project will begin in spring 2018.
Scott said the two phases are separate projects. Each contract has its own bids, which determines when phase two will begin.
Scott said phase two of the project, from Eckford Drive to Russell Street, will be exactly like phase one, which will include repaving Highway 12, adding a raised median and upgrading the major intersections with fiber optics and new traffic lights and street signs.
The goal of the project is to improve safety for travelers along Highway 12.
“Over the last five years, this short section of State Route 12 has seen 1,664 vehicle crashes, and millions of dollars in property damages,” Holley said. “MDOT has already seen a decrease in the number of traffic crashes along this corridor. The improvements made to State Route 12 will continue to improve safety conditions and efficiency for the traveling public.”