By Rupert Howell
Mississippi Department of Transportation District Engineer Mitch Turner confirmed that the Batesville Bypass Project had been, “put to bed for awhile,” along with about 25 other projects. MDOT has now put more emphasis on maintenance such as overlaying highways and replacing deficient bridges, he said.

Speaking to the Batesville board of mayor and aldermen at Tuesday’s regular first Monday meeting, Turner gave specifics about local MDOT decisions, how and why they are made.

He said the local area is getting, “a lot of good,” with the change of emphasis mentioning the viaduct over the railroad tracks on Highway 6 west as one bridge scheduled for replacement.
Turner also said he is “very familiar” with traffic congestion on Highway 6 in Batesville as he commutes from Pontotoc on a daily basis. He explained that existing points of ingress and egress at businesses and shopping centers along that highway would not be approved under current rules of highway design and suggested they cause some of the congestion.
Combining some of those entrances and exits may help traffic flow, Turner continued, but  raised medians with proper turn-offs placed where the middle lane now exists would help alleviate some of the sporadic fierce congestion.

He hinted that Goodman Road in DeSoto County,  an ultra-congested road, may soon have raised medians.

Department engineers have determined that stop lights on Highway 51 at Tiger Drive may not be useful, but Turner agreed for his department to assist with flashing yellow lights on roadsides near Tiger Drive to alert oncoming traffic.

An issue involving speed limits on Highway 6 that allowed increasing speed closer to congested areas was caused by an error within the local department, according to Turner. Sign installers confused Keating Road (formerly Hospital Road) with House-Carlson Drive, east of I-55, that leads to Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Turner also said that high mast lighting at 6 & I-55 would soon be in place. The intersection will be put back into shape, seeded and in shape for mowers before contractors are discharged, the MDOT engineer told city officials.