NATCHEZ — Adams County officials met Friday with several Morgantown Road landowners to address concerns residents have with a county right-of-way project.

The $1.7 million project began in 2005 following a traffic study suggesting Morgantown Road needed improvements to handle the amount of traffic on the road. County Engineer Jim Marlow said a traffic study showed 5,600 cars per day drove the road in 2008. That number is far more than the road was originally intended to handle, Marlow said.

The county began acquiring rights-of-way access in 2009, but many owners have not accepted, Marlow said.

The road also has flooding concerns during heavy rains, and supervisor Ricky Gray said he drove down the road during a recent storm and showed the video to residents,

“It wasn’t even raining that hard and you saw ditches running over the road crossing the street,” he said. “You have water coming from all the way down Morgantown Road, coming out of those neighborhoods and into the main road.

“This is a serious problem, and we are trying to take care of it on the front end. If we have a rain like they got in Baton Rouge, everyone is going to be complaining about their house being under water.”

Residents said drainage was a big concern, but many said they have not noticed a traffic problem.

Former supervisor David Huber, whose construction company office is on Morgantown Road, said the traffic problems were worse in 1967 when a private school was operating in the area.

Since that time, outlets to U.S. 61 such as Redd Loop Road and Northgate Road help alleviate traffic concerns, Huber said.

“Why are we widening the road now when traffic is less than it was in the late ’60s and early ’70s?” Huber said. “We are all losing property to do this, and I’m not losing as much property as they are.

“I think the flooding concerns we can alleviate without taking property and putting in turning lanes.”

Marlow said the county cannot just address the drainage concerns without resubmitting this federal aide project for just drainage. He also said traffic was a problem.

“We did a traffic study on Morgantown Road, and it has more traffic,” he said. “Morgantown Road has the highest traffic count of any road in Adams County.”

Deborah Turner lives on the corner of Brooklyn Drive and Morgantown Road, and she said putting a turning lane at her house would trap her in.

While Brooklyn Drive is not the main access to the Morgantown Academies, many use it to get to the schools. “It is going to affect a lot of my property as well as my safety,” she said. “It is not the main access and that is a neighborhood full of children. I’m looking out for my family’s safety as well as those children’s safety.”

Ellis Felter said in the letter he got the county is already claiming it owns land that he has been paying taxes on for years. He said it is also tough to read the map and know exactly how much the county is talking about taking.

Felter said for one of his neighbors they are suggesting taking 13 feet, which would put the road close to the person’s front porch.

“It was an insult for me to get the donation letter,” Felter said. “It was an insult to my neighbor to offer $600 for his property.”

County attorney Scott Slover said by state statute the county has to send a letter asking if anyone is willing to donate the property. He said the right-of-way purchase estimates are meant to cover the cost of the land and also the cost of depreciation to nearby property.

Slover said the county is willing to work with homeowners to come up with a fair payment.

“It sounds like you are pretty open,” Felter said. “As long as it is not cut and dry on the amount we get, I think we’ll be able to work something out.”

“As long as we can justify the value, we can alter the payment,” Slover said. “No one here is trying to cheat you out of your fair share.”

Susan Mingee said she appreciates Morgantown Road getting attention, but she’s concerned what the right-of-way changes will do to the parking lot at Lovely Lane United Methodist Church.

“This will impact more than half of our parking places,” she said. “Our sanctuary and front entrance are also right where we are talking about.”

Gray said he would like to work with the church to minimize the impact.

Supervisor Calvin Butler, in whose district most of Morgantown Road is situated, suggested sending Marlow and his team out to flag off what the county is proposing to acquire. Butler also said he would be willing to come out and walk it with the residents.

Marlow said it would take him about six days to get the road flagged out. He also said he would meet with residents.

Slover said it becomes complicated when a resident refuses an offer because the county might have to take them to court.

“Litigation is less desirable for everyone,” he said. “The board is not trying to get in a big litigation battle because it increases the legal fees, and it also doesn’t make y’all happy.”