MDOT considering temporary I-110 sign during Cruisin' The Coast

The Mississippi Department of Transportation understands a missing sign on Interstate 110 could be confusing, especially during Cruisin’ The Coast.

The sign directs traffic east on U.S. 90, toward Ocean Springs via a loop.

District engineer Kelly Castleberry said MDOT will consider a temporary sign during the big event, which takes over U.S. 90 in early October.

The I-110 sign was removed earlier this year as part of a regional program to replace large, overhead signs that weren’t structurally sound.

It is the last big directional sign on Interstate 110, the major corridor from Interstate 10 south to U.S. 90. It lets people know to make a somewhat counterintuitive move — exit right to go left or east on U.S. 90 or keep going straight and empty out onto U.S. 90 heading west.

Ocean Springs residents have expressed concern over the missing sign, because it also directs traffic to their town. If a tourist misses the exit and loop, they end up on U.S. 90 heading west, and it can be difficult to turn around right away because much of the median does not allow U turns.

Castleberry said he understands that Cruisin’ may make turning around even more difficult for someone new to the area. He said he would consider a temporary sign on I-110 that would alert drivers to the Ocean Springs loop that also sends them east to Biloxi’s downtown and the city’s casinos.

In the meantime, MDOT has driven the route using GPS, and Castleberry said the ones they tested clearly told drivers to take the exit and loop for locations east of I-110.

He said he believes most of the tourists coming into the area will be using GPS or cellphone apps.

Also, there is still a sign up that directs traffic to downtown Biloxi. It’s about 700 feet before the loop exit ramp and says “Keesler AFB, Tourist Info, Exit only and Downtown Biloxi Exit 1A.”

When the Ocean Springs sign is built, it will be lifted into place with two cranes in a procedure called “rolling lane closure,” Castleberry said. But it has to wait its turn to be built.

Castleberry said it could be near the end of the year before the contractor finishes manufacturing the structure, depending on where it is in the contract.

This story was originally published July 26, 2016 at 2:35 PM with the headline "MDOT considering temporary I-110 sign during Cruisin' The Coast."