Sunday, May 19, 2019

Riverside Drive Reconstruction Delayed

The reconstruction of Riverside Drive might as well be mired in Yazoo clay.   Pretty plans and sketches have been rendered yet no work has taken place on the road itself.  The Northside Sun reported:


The Riverside Drive Reconstruction Project has yet to get off the drawing board.

Part of the reason is the city is still determining how to pay for it. Part of it is the second phase might require more work than initially expected.

The roughly $12 million project will be broken into two phases. ...

The first phase is estimated to cost $10.6 million, more than two-thirds the amount generated annually by the city’s infrastructure sales tax.

That work will include completely rebuilding Riverside, reducing it from four to two lanes, adding a six-foot sidewalk along the south side of the street and a 10-inch multi-use trail along the north side. Plans also would include preserving the oak trees that line the middle of the street.

Riverside is traveled by about 6,000 vehicles a day.... Rest of article

14 comments:

Pete Perry said...

There you go believing what is reported in the Sun! The discussion of funding Riverside hasn't come up at a commission meeting. The final plans were first presented to the Commission last week. The fact that it is a high cost project does make it harder to fund while also looking at a major repaving program for this year, but unlike the assumption made in the paper or your post, it doesn't mean that it won't be happening soon.

Anonymous said...

As always, the 'oops we found more issues that will cost mucho more' seems to come from the same firms.

Also, the original problem with Riverside is the trees. They look great but mixed with Yazoo clay they kill the roads. I think Lakeland was redone and they left the trees. A few years later it was a rollercoaster again.

And, why are we investing in making our roads smaller and adding these huge sidewalks? What they've done in Fondren is horrible right in front of Surin. Looks like they are doing it on State St as well. I guess they are planning for the continued shrinking population in Jackson.

Anonymous said...

Jackson is rotting from within.

Anonymous said...

A “10-inch multi-use trail” will not support very many uses....

Anonymous said...

Not one penny of construction money will be spend on this project. The 2 engineering firm will get it all up just like the airport parkway to connect with downtown.

Anonymous said...

The hippies and hipsters in fondren/belhaven will freak out if those trees are parted with. Problem is however, they are a main issue for the bad road. Trees have to go.

Anonymous said...

Bulldoze up the asphalt, buy a road scraper and grade once a week. It’s GOT to be smoother than it is now....

Anonymous said...

It is all about duping the rubes like Perry and Overpaid Duane into signing off on the bonds. Agree to the bonds and suddenly it will morph into a $15-20 million dollar project (BEFORE bond interest) with 3 or 4 phases.

“There were some issues that the mill and overlay wouldn’t cover,” he said. “We didn’t feel we could move on them until we got a report from the city.”

During a site visit, engineers discovered water damage along the roadway, as well as some leaks in the city’s storm drainage system.

The second phase, which initially would have included the mill, overlay, sidewalk and striping work, didn’t include water or sewer rehab.

Edwards said it would have been irresponsible for Waggoner to continue designing the mill and overlay without reporting the problems.


The proctologists are setting up for action, 2021 is right around the corner and Antar needs some bond money to pass around.

Anonymous said...

Pete Perry is now also an expert on roadwork? This guy gets around. He'll soon be wearing more honorary hats than Gerard Goblet.

Anonymous said...

Please... these people would much rather have trees than smooth finished roads to drive on. Just like the green space in fondren. Everyone freaked out about a building going up on the green space. It was mostly these families in woodland hills with stay at home spouses that have nothing else to do with there time other than spew on nextdoor as there nanny takes care of there children in the next room.

Anonymous said...

its a good thing i drive a toyota land cruiser cause it takes everything that vehicle has to negotiate riverside drive from riverside park to state street. i cant imagine what its like in a passenger car.

Pete Perry said...

I realize that there are plenty of experts that provide commentary on this site, and we should take those anonymous statements as fact.

But the paid experts, that have an education with degrees in the subject matter dispute the JJ commentators as to the effect of the trees on the roadway. Those who have actually studied the project state that the trees do not contribute to the Riverside road problems.

What does contribute to the Yazoo clay expansion/contraction is the leaking 16" waterline that runs under meadian/southern lane of the road. The arborist that have been a part of the project state that the oak tree roots do not extend under the roadbed.

I realize this fact based comment will fall on totally deaf ears of those who like to bitch, throw stones, and spew their personal but unbased beliefs.

As to the conversion of the road to a two lane from its current configuration is for traffic calming, just as in Fondren. All roads do not have the purpose of being a tjighway; entry to downtown is intended on Woodrow Wilson, Fortification, High and Pearl - not using Riverside as a cut-through.

And yes, I do have an education background in the subject.

Anonymous said...

Traffic calming is a new word for reconstruction of a road to serve fewer cars. Cute word to cover up that Jackson in dying and no one want to travel there.

Anonymous said...

While I agree that the live oak trees in the median add a lot to the area, their fate should be decided when they tear up the road. If the roots extend under the road, then a poured 36" deep curb can be poured and that should stop the roots. However, if this process kills the trees, then so be it.
Regardless, the live oaks on the north side, that have been pruned into nothingness under the powerline, need to go!


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