City works speedily on Trails Project

By Mary Hood (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Sunday, July 19, 2009

NATCHEZ — Natchez Trails Project officials are racing the clock.

Funds for the project have to be obligated by Sept. 30, but before that can happen several stamps of approval are needed.

The city recently received environmental approval for the project from the Mississippi Department of Transportation, which opens the project up for several other approvals.

Gardner has already presented the trails plans to MDOT, whose officials have made comments in their review.

Now Gardner must go back and rework the plans to accommodate any comments and requirements to resubmit to MDOT.

“Our goal is to have it done by Aug. 1,” he said.

Additionally, Gardner said rights-of-way have to be secured and included in the plans before they are sent back to MDOT.

Only three property owners are involved and each is donating their right-of-way.

“It’s just a matter of getting the paperwork flushed through the attorneys,” Gardner said.

Once sent, he said he anticipates the agency will take between 10 and 14 days to review the plans, which will then be forwarded to the Federal Highway Administration.

The highway administration should take two weeks to review the project to grant its approval, he said.

“If we can get (the review to MDOT) in by the first of August, you’re looking at a month and a half or so of approvals then we should be on track to have the final blessing by mid-September,” he said.

“That’s in a perfect world, but that’s what we’re shooting for.”

Once the federal highway administration obligates the funds for the project, the city can begin to advertise bids for the project.

“We’ve been working around the clock to do this,” Gardner said. “It’s an enormous amount of work with this project.”

The $2.9 million project includes walking trails in the central downtown district as well as along the bluffs, Roth Hill Road and Learned’s Mill Road.