MDOT Evaluates City Sidewalks
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City officials and Mississippi Department of Transportation representatives walk a section of Main Street during Monday’s site visit for Water Valley’s sidewalk improvement grant application.
WATER VALLEY — The City of Water Valley moved another step forward in the grant review process last week as representatives from the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) conducted a site visit for the city’s sidewalk improvement application.
Mayor Tommy Reynolds said he was encouraged by the visit and by the community support behind the project.
“I am really pleased with the support in the community that we have for improvements of all kinds,” Reynolds said. “And sidewalk improvements are, I think, critical for our community.”
Reynolds cautioned that the site visit doesn’t guarantee the grant will be awarded, but the city remains in the running for up to $1.2 million in funding for the proposed sidewalk improvements.
“We were happy that the MDOT team was willing to walk the entire sidewalk with us,” Yalobusha County Economic Director Kagan Coughlin added, reiterating the mayor’s assessment that the application is moving forward.
Mayor Reynolds, Alderperson Nicole Folson, Parks Commissioner Jessie Gurner, Parks Director Rachel Daniels, and Coughlin joined the MDOT review team for a full walk-through of the proposed project area.
The Water Valley Board of Aldermen previously voted to commit up to $300,000 to cover the required 20 percent local match if the project is awarded, pushing the total value of the project to $1.5 million. Final awards are expected in February. If approved, the project would include sidewalk improvements and extensions from Crawford Sports Complex to City Park, and from Main Street along Martin Street to Baker Street Park.
Reynolds said the group emphasized safety concerns as they walked the route with the MDOT evaluators.
“We showed them how safety could be improved if our sidewalks could be improved. This is for all ages,” he said. “I think it is part of a healthy community for this city to have good sidewalks, and I am very enthusiastic about it. We have received a lot of letters of support from across the community for this project.”
