Here’s how the Mississippi Coast graded Gulfport’s $48 million new road proposal
Gulfport $48 million road project is one of the most controversial developments proposed in the city year.
Supporters of “Interconnecting Gulfport” will alleviate traffic on some parts of the U.S. 49 corridor and bring more development and businesses to the highway. Opponents say one of the busiest intersections of the highway at Creosote Road wasn’t studied, and others worry it will cause more flooding to historic Black communities nearby.
The Sun Herald asked readers to speak out about the project and give the project a grade. More than 300 people responded to our survey. Here’s what they said:
- More than half of respondents (53%) gave the development an “F” grade, and 24% gave it an “A” overall. “The proposed road will certainly flood homes and churches,” Gulfport environmental activist Howard Page said in response to this question.
- About 69% of respondents said the project’s impact on traffic at the Creosote Road intersection should be further studied. The city’s traffic analysis did not study this intersection, but instead showed a projected increase in congestion at a different intersection (at Highway 49 and Poole Street).
- A majority of respondents (60%) said they are not excited for potential development, while 34% said they’d welcome more business growth in that area. The city estimates that up to 2.8 million square feet of commercial real estate could open for development from the project.
A majority of respondents (61%) said they fear the project will not protect Black neighborhoods nearby from flooding or other environmental issues. “The project would destroy the communities with more flooding, noise and smog pollution,” one survey-taker said.
