Downtown Ocean Springs sidewalks soon to be smoother for everyone

OCEAN SPRINGS -- It won't start until the first of the year, when the holidays are over, but the city plans to begin soon reworking the sidewalks along Washington Avenue and Government Streets.

The work will fix steep slopes and spots where a sidewalk drops off abruptly, and smooth out uneven places where the cement has been pushed up by tree roots over the years.

The goal is to make the sidewalks more compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, but they'll be safer and more accessible for everyone.

The mayor and Board of Aldermen accepted a grant for $108,000 this week, which will require the city to put up $27,000 toward the project. The Public Works Department and city engineer have determined $66,000 is needed for Washington Avenue sidewalks alone, from the railroad track south to Calhoun Street.

The rest will fix as much of Government Street as the funding allows, starting at Washington, city officials said.

The city won't have to rip up every panel, Public Works Director Johnny Groue told the board Tuesday night. He said crews will repair the hot spots, leaving the rest of the walkway undisturbed.

"Roots, weather we all know concrete moves eventually," Groue said.

In some cases, such as in front of Two Dogs Dancing pet boutique on Washington, the sidewalk will likely be taken up, the tree roots ground down and the sidewalk repoured.

"We're starting downtown and will continue out where necessary," Groue told the board, pointing out downtown is where the city holds its signature festivals.

"This is a busy area with crowds," he said. "I think $300,000 would not be enough, but this will be a jump start."

He said the plan is to seek more money and extend the program as needed.

James Foster with Compton Engineering surveyed the sidewalks. On Wednesday, he pointed out where ramps from the street to the sidewalks are too steep to be of use -- and come out onto Washington in the middle of a block rather than at an official crosswalk, which is dangerous.

In order to make the walkways safer, those problems will be dealt with, he said.

The city received the grant from the Mississippi Gulf Coast Metropolitan Planning Organization through the Gulf Regional Planning Commission and the state Department of Transportation.

This story was originally published December 16, 2015 at 7:20 PM with the headline "Downtown Ocean Springs sidewalks soon to be smoother for everyone ."