You won’t believe the upgrades coming to Pascagoula beach

Drivers should expect occasional lane and road closures as construction gets in full swing along Beach Boulevard from Beach Park, west to the Point.

City spokeswoman Ravin Floyd said the project is phase II of the promenade, valued at $2.6 million. The city announced earlier this month that it will not only include a 10-foot wide, cement walkway along the seawall, but also will include decorative lighting and bike paths on both sides of Beach Boulevard.

Floyd said there also will be beach upgrades like a shower, shade structure, a stage and movie screen for the amphitheater, drinking fountains, a handicapped accessible picnic area and a fire pit. These amenities will be closer to the Point, on the west end of Beach Boulevard.

M&D Construction Co., Inc. began work on phase II in early July. This phase complements upgrades and a promenade at the other end of the beachfront, closer to Beach Park.

Floyd said Pascagoula received $3.5 million in BP oil spill early restoration money for improvements to the area, including the $2.6 million for this west-end phase. Work on the project is expected to take 18 months.

This story was originally published July 22, 2016 at 12:32 PM with the headline "You won’t believe the upgrades coming to Pascagoula beach."