I-20 Reconstruction through Vicksburg

[berberry]

The feature article in yesterday's Vicksburg Post covered the progress being made in right-of-way acquisitions toward the closing of a decades-old gap in one of our frontage roads.  Although no specific date was given, the story made clear that the very first phase of construction (a new bridge to link the existing segments of S Frontage) will commence in months, not years.  Further improvements will be made to both frontage roads, they'll be converted to one-way and - apparently about two to three years from now - I-20 will be routed onto them while the existing roadway is reconstructed and widened to six lanes. 

The article gives a few new details beyond what MDOT has already said about this widening project.  On- and off-ramps at US 61 South will be completely rebuilt and moved to the right side of the interstate roadway, which I suppose will be done with flyover bridges.  Unspecified new ramps will be built at the Halls Ferry interchange, and the existing ramps and bridges will be improved.  Just east of Halls Ferry (I'm thinking somewhere between the new and old El Sombrero bldgs) and again at Porter's Chapel Road, underpasses will connect the frontage roads.

This is gonna be even worse than I-55 North reconstruction was in Jackson during the 1980s.  Availability of I-220 to through traffic helped a little in that situation.  Through traffic today seems to be heavier than it was back then, and there's not much of an alternate route available to get through Vicksburg, other than old 80 and old 61.