The Highway 12 Safety Project may be impacting traffic on one of the Golden Triangle's busiest routes, but the construction effort is going as planned.
The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) project aims to improve the safety of the thoroughfare by updating traffic signals, removing the center turn lane and adding median. Asphalt removal will begin at New Light Road, with crews working east down Highway 12. Work will also begin on a new concrete island, curb and gutter at the intersection of Stark Road and Airport Road in front of Wing Stop.
Northern District Transportation Commissioner Mike Tagert said crews were working on the project at intersections along Highway 12, including Louisville Street, Stark Road and Industrial Park Road.
“Everything is on target at this moment for an October completion date,” Tagert said.
The project began on Feb. 27, following a safety audit discovering that 1,664 accidents had occurred in the vicinity in five years, the highest crash rate per capita of any state road north of the Jackson Metro Area.
“The crash history for this project was disproportionate for this kind of route,” Tagert said.
Tagert said the medians being added should cut down the number of right-angle collisions through the area.
The second phase of the project is set to be out for bid in November, with construction beginning in early 2018.
“Highway 12 is an extremely important business route for our community,” Tagert said. “We must protect and invest in this route for its long-term preservation.”