New bike paths in the works
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Bicyclists will have 7.3 additional miles of trails in Rankin County completed by 2009.
By the end of next year, a web of bicyclist-friendly terrain will allow a person to bike from Liberty Park in Flowood to Ridgeland or to Pelahatchie Bay.
Bicyclists will have 7.3 additional miles of trails in Rankin County completed by 2009.
With six projects gaining ground, county residents will have more pavement at their disposal, for biking, running and other outdoor activities.
Michael Harrison, a bike consultant from The Bike Rack in Flowood, said he's glad to see Rankin County beefing up its bike route network.
"Good bike paths are an integral part of having a good country recreational system," said Harrison, who likes to ride along the different trails near Ross Barnett Reservoir.
Harrison said bike paths increase an area's attractiveness, which is good when the county is attracting people who come from other metro areas.
The first project is expected to start this fall and will complete a loop around Pelahatchie Bay, said Pearl River Valley Water Supply District Deputy Director Dan Gaillet.
The $1,975,000-project has two parts:
Once complete, PRV will have approximately 14 miles of bike trails in Rankin County, Gaillet said.
Also, near the Reservoir, PRV plans to upgrade an existing lane along Bob Anthony Parkway, which Gaillet said will give bicyclists a smoother trek across the spillway. Gaillet said he expects construction to begin in spring 2009, and it will be part of a $1,450,000 road enhancement project.
Two more projects will tie into Spillway Road in the Reservoir area. The county plans to incorporate a bike lane into the right of way of Old Fannin Road when it is widened to five lanes from Flowood Baptist Church to Spillway.
Rankin County Road Manager George Bobo said the 2.3-mile project will start construction next spring, and he expects it to be completed in about a year. The bike lane is included in the $10 million widening project.
The other project is a 1.5-mile bike path to be built along, but separate, Hugh Ward Boulevard from Manship Road to Spillway.
The path will be located in the Pinelands Public Improvement District, which is waiting to see if Mississippi Department of Transportation will offer an enhancement grant, said Bobo, who also serves as the district manager of the Pinelands.
Bobo said the Pinelands has the money set aside and hopes MDOT will take grant applications this year. Flowood and PRV were awarded grants for bike paths last time, and Bobo said he thinks the Pinelands will be next in line for a grant that covers between 75 and 80 percent of the project.
Flowood received a $750,000 MDOT grant for its path and is awaiting the agency's approval to move forward on its path. Plans are to construct a bike lane that will link Liberty Park to Winner's Circle Park.
The 3-mile path will be built in the right of way of Flowood Drive and Liberty Road, said the city's public works director, Garry Miller. Miller said construction will begin next spring and should be completed by the end of the year.
Miller said this path will tie into the future path along Old Fannin Road, which will allow bikers to access trails all across the Reservoir area.
And lastly, Pelahatchie plans to build its first path, which will be its initial foray into becoming a more pedestrian-friendly city.
The $1.3 million, 2-mile bike path, which will tie together the town and Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Campground, will serve as a "spine" for sidewalk improvement projects throughout Pelahatchie, said Mayor Knox Ross.
"Not only are we going to connect downtown out to the lake, we are trying to rebuild sidewalks in town," Ross said.
Pelahatchie received two grants for their project - from MDOT and Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.
The exact route of the trail has not been determined, Ross said.
Bobo said he expects more bike paths to be completed in the future, but the county's priorities are getting a laundry list of road projects completed.
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BIKE TRAILS
