US 90 to reopen in Biloxi and Long Beach, MS

This isn't a roadtrip report per se, but details what was then a significant reopening of US 90 in Harrison County, MS in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. This post was written on December 16, 2005.

US 90 to reopen in Biloxi and Long Beach, MS

Relevant URLs:

http://www.gomdot.com/newsApp/newsDetail.aspx?referrer=home&id=12142005101747

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/special_packages/hurricane_katrina/13419723.htm
(this one may not be available after 12/23)

Currently, US 90 is open to 2-lane/2-way traffic in the eastbound lanes in both Pass Christian and in Gulfport. Tomorrow (Saturday the 17th), US 90 will open to the same format (2-lane/2-way) in Long Beach and in Biloxi west of I-110.

Although 2 lanes will open between DeBuys Rd and I-110 tomorrow, the SunHerald article notes that US 90 will fully open to 4 lanes through Biloxi (from DeBuys Rd to the destroyed Biloxi-Ocean Springs Bridge) next Wednesday (the 21st).

Opening the Gulfport segment to 4 lanes will take a couple more weeks or so, due to heavier damage.

On the subject of the Biloxi-Ocean Springs Bridge replacement (also on US 90), earlier this week the Biloxi City Council voted unanimously in support of MDOT's plan to build a 6-lane high-bridge replacement span. This is in contrast to Ocean Springs, who initially supported the plan but recently voted to support a letter to the FHWA protesting a 6-lane span. The Ocean Springs Mayor has been the most vocal critic of MDOT's bridge plan, and there's been a number of letters in the SunHerald (mostly from Ocean Springs residents BTW) supporting her and blasting MDOT, though the SunHerald editorial staff has recently joined that bandwagon as well.

At issue isn't the height of the span, but the width. MDOT's proposal, IIRC, is 128 feet wide and will include 6 travel lanes, 4 shoulders/breakdown lanes (on both sides in both directions), and a bike/ped path. Ocean Springs (as well as the New Urbanists who were on the Governer's panel) are opposed to the width, and instead support a 4-lane span with 2 breakdown lanes (a full right shoulder in each direction) plus the bike/ped path.

My thoughts: build a temporary 2 lane span at the former bridge location. Then once CSX relocates their tracks north away from the coast (a decision on this is expected in a couple months), build a 6-lane span at the location of the CSX bridge, tying into a new-location US 90 along the CSX corridor in Harrison County (Pass Christian to Biloxi).

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