City Council receives update on Highway 11 widening project

During Tuesday’s Picayune City Council meeting, City Manager Jim Luke provided an update on the progress of Phase 1 of the Highway 11 widening project. Luke said that he recently attended a pre-op conference with Jonathan Hickman from the City Engineer’s office and Eric Morris, Director of Public Works for the City of Picayune.

At the meeting, Luke said they met with the winning contractor, Barriere Construction, who was awarded the project with a bid of $14,477,378.62. The project length is estimated to be three years with contract time to begin on September 9th and construction is planned to begin in October (2019).

Hickman explained that the existing roadway, for the most part, will just be paved over and the contractor will build additional lanes on the outside. Hickman said that initially most of the work performed will be outside of the roadway as the contractor does work to address drainage. He added that the only place the road would be torn up will most likely be at the intersection of Highway 11 and Highway 43 North.

Luke said Phase 1 will be four lanes from Carter Street and heading north to Lakeshore Drive (Hideaway Lake entrance). The City of Picayune has requested street lights like the ones on Highway 43 North, stamped concrete in the design of pavers in the turn lane median, and there will be sidewalks along the east side of the highway from Cayten Street to Highway 43 North.

Hickman said Phase 2, which will be from Cayten Street south across Hobolochitto Creek is still in the property acquisition phase.