NATCHEZ — Morgantown Road residents who complained about having to give up land for new turning lanes have convinced the county to modify an overlay and drainage project.

Interim County Engineer Jim Marlow said residents were not happy giving up the amount of property required to place turning lanes on the road, so the county will reprogram the project to widen the road, overlay and complete drainage work.

Marlow said the federal aid project would be revised to still cost approximately $1.7 million, but instead of working primarily at the intersections, the county would overlay and widen the road from where state maintenance ends near U.S. 61 out to the Booker and Redd Loop roads intersection.

“Going back and taking out the turning lanes leaves us money to fill in the gaps and do the whole road,” Marlow said.

The county had a public meeting in September with residents being impacted by the project, many of whom had not signed away right-of-way access. The project began with a traffic study in 2005 and the county began acquiring right-of-way access in 2009.

District 4 Supervisor Ricky Gray and District 5 Supervisor Calvin Butler had called the meeting after heavy rains had caused the road to be overtaken by water in several areas.

Many residents, worried about how much property they were losing to the turning lanes, said they believed the drainage problems could be alleviated without putting in the turning lanes. Residents said they had not noticed a traffic problem on the road significant enough to need turning lanes.

“It was good we had a public hearing on the matter,” Supervisors Board Attorney Scott Slover said. “We heard from the public, we listened and we will try to meet their needs.”

As the county did following the September meeting, Slover said once the plans are revised, officials would mark the right-of-way area on people’s property and walk it with the residents.

“I would be surprised if there are any issues from here on out,” Slover said. “The important thing is getting this out and continuously working on it while it is fresh on people’s minds.”

Gray said the drainage problem is serious and it is important to get the issue solved before Natchez faces a rain storm such as the one Baton Rouge received this past year, or many residences on Morgantown Road would be underwater.

“People are not losing the property they would have been losing,” Gray said. “I think people are going to be happy with that.”

Butler said the people spoke and the county listened.

“I think it’s a win-win for the residents and us in making the changes,” Butler said. “That road is in bad condition and now will get an overlay from the Gamberi (Farm and Feed Supply) store to Redd Loop and Booker roads. That area needs to have some drainage improvements — it could save lives.”