Roadwork set to ease access to Grand Gulf

Published 12:00 am Thursday, December 6, 2001

[12/6/01]Work in Claiborne County is expected to begin late next year on a $10 million road that will provide easier access to the Grand Gulf Nuclear Power Station.

Additionally, the port connector road will also provide new access to the Grand Gulf Military Monument and the Port of Claiborne County. Claiborne County Administrator Clovis Reed said the project will have a major effect on improving the economy of the mostly rural county.

“Just in the construction phase alone, hundreds of jobs will be created giving us the opportunity to make sure that a lot of those dollars are spent in our community,” Reed said.

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Funding for the project is pending before Congress. A conference committee approved a federal transportation bill that included $8 million for the port connector road.

The bill, which includes $91 million for Mississippi, still has to be approved by the Senate and the House. Claiborne County would have to raise the remaining $2 million through the state or a local bond issue to fund the entire project, Reed said.

The proposed road will run from U.S. 61 north of Port Gibson to the Port of Claiborne County on the Mississippi River. It will begin near Mississippi Highway 18 and U.S. 61 and end near Bald Hill Road.

The exact route has not be determined, Reed said.

“This connector road will be a major component in the renewed efforts focused on the economic development of Claiborne County,” District 2 Supervisor Charlie Norrell Sr. said.

For three years, delegates from Claiborne County have been soliciting Washington, D.C., for funding of the project. Since then, Congress has authorized $400,000 to begin survey and design work.