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Members of the Simpson County Development Foundation along with City Officials, County Officials, School Board members, Canadian National Railroad Officials, and representatives from the MS Department of Transportation (MDOT) met Wednesday, January 11th for a round-table discussion on a solution for the best means of travel to and from the Magee Elementary School to the Middle and High Schools.
Several options and possible solutions were discussed. Representatives from Canadian National Railroad and MDOT helped give a better understanding of what actually can be solutions.
These solutions are merely suggestions. No decisions were made at the meeting.
- Extend frontage road on highway 49 to Tutor Funeral Home using 149 as the path of travel
- Use the road in front of Loves Truck Stop for access to highway 49 and as a way to reach Main Street
- Go west on Goodwater Road to Highway 49 take a right and proceed over the over pass and turn right at bottom of the bridge to Highway 149.
- A bridge was discussed.
- One suggestion was to build a road on the back side of the school which would cross over the railroad tracks and merge into old highway (I49).
Every “solution” involves money. Grants and Federal funds could be available. But the bottom line is major funding would be required.
Canadian National explained that to install a new rail road crossing at the Elementary School would require the closing of two existing railroad crossings in the city of Magee.
Questions concerning the mixing of 18 wheelers and school busses at the Loves crossing was discussed. Loves will have a red light.
MDOT said no red light will be placed at the end of Goodwater Road that enters 49 due to the danger of highway traffic back up which could cause numerous wrecks.
The decision was made to obtain traffic studies from the new Loves Truck Stop and a study done by the school before Loves was built. Combining the information from the two studies will give a better picture of the options available for traffic flow.
Whatever solution is decided upon will not be a quick fix.
The process will take time…and again money.
Plans for the 2017 school year elementary bus route are to bring the busses from the high school onto 1st Street…cross the railroad tracks next to Rankin Body Shop…proceed on 1st and taking a right onto 11th Avenue…then a left onto Goodwater Road entering the school from Goodwater Road. (information given at the meeting)
According to MDOT, plans are in the works to stop vehicles crossing from one side of Goodwater to the other. This does not mean that one cannot enter Goodwater Road from the highway but double lane crossing will be stopped. (When the rendition of this crossing is available from MDOT, MageeNews.com will post)
