The Fort Bayou Bridge will close for 6 weeks. What it means for MS Coast drivers.
Sunday will bring two big adjustments to residents of the Ocean Springs area, as Daylight Savings Time begins and the Fort Bayou Bridge closes for 45 days for repairs.
It will mean dark mornings and an early start for those who have to take the long way to work for six weeks.
The bridge officially closes at 10 p.m. Sunday, March 14, said Katey Roh, public information officer for Mississippi Department of Transportation.
Electronic signs along the detours give the contractor, C.E.C. of Lafayette, Louisiana, until April 28 to make the bridge repairs.
“Their goal is to get it done in 45 days — no more,” Roh said. They will raise the bridge just a few inches and remove the bearings that weigh 4,000 pounds each. The bearings will be sent to a machine shop in Miami and once refurbished, will be reinstalled.
The bridge will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians during that time, while some additional repairs will be made, she said.
The bridge closure was timed before hurricane season, Roh said, since the road and bridge are part of the hurricane evacuation route.
The $20 million project to upgrade the bridge’s motor, generator, gears and axles and to repaint the bride is scheduled to be completed in late 2021.
For the next six weeks, she advises, “Leave a little earlier or later. Be patient.”
Business affected by bridge repairs
Tanya Ronje lives just north of the bridge, and it typically takes her 5 minutes to drive to work at Courtney Farms on U.S. 90, just east of Washington Avenue.
Instead, she’ll have to head north on Mississippi 609, then choose east or west on Interstate 10 and then south to U.S. 90. From the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino at I-110 and U.S. 90 in Biloxi, it’s another 4.5 miles to work through more than a dozen traffic lights.
If she goes east, it’s 6.6 miles on U.S. 90 from Mississippi 57 to the center of town, also through many traffic signals.
Ronje already is mapping out her best route, possibly taking Lemoyne Boulevard through St. Martin to get to I-110. Those who know the back roads likely will “cut the corner” and take Ocean Springs Road from Mississippi 57 to 90, or take back streets in Biloxi to miss some of the traffic lights on 90.
“I guess we will get to see 90 and enjoy the view,” she said, and it might even help restaurants and other businesses along the route.
She and her co-workers at Courtney Farms are concerned for what it will mean for their business at the busiest time of the year. The shelves are fully stocked with flowers, plants and accessories and it will be a longer drive for their customers at Gulf Hills and north of the bridge for the next 45 days.
“I’m hoping they’re begin generous with that,” she said of the timeline.
Bus routes not affected
The bridge closure won’t have a big impact on bus routes for the Ocean Springs School District, said Trey Brennan, the district’s communications director.
They do have a couple of buses that cross the bridge to transport students who require special assistance, “So they’ve modified these routes to go around the roadwork,” he said.
“We’re fortunate that it’s only going to affect a handful of students,” he said. It will affect many employees who live north of the bridge.
Detours on 57 and I-110 will be marked for those who aren’t as familiar with the route.
Arts Festival impacted
Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce is providing the detour map online and is posting it at businesses so people will find their way to downtown stores and restaurants.
The Chamber’s Spring Arts Festival is March 27-28 in downtown Ocean Springs and typically draws a crowd. The flier says it is vital that spectators, customers and tourists know the route to the festival.
“Let’s work together to keep the traffic flowing into town during that weekend and during the entire construction project timeline,” the Chamber flier says.
This story was originally published March 12, 2021 at 11:19 AM.
