Old U.S. Hwy. 45 a rough ride
By By William F. West / community editor
July 19, 2002
The locally-maintained stretch of Old U.S. 45 between Marion and Meridian handles more daily traffic than the superhighway built to replace it, an ironic situation that has local officials hoping the state will take it over.
The city of Meridian maintains part of Old U.S. 45, as does Lauderdale County. The problems are that joints between the original layers of roadway are deteriorating or buckling. The bridges are also narrow, and one bridge is missing part of its guard rail.
Temple, citing traffic counts by the Mississippi Department of Transportation, said Old U.S. 45 has more traffic on it than the superhighway built to bypass it. And he said the traffic has not resulted from roadside businesses, industries and residences.
Temple said Mississippi Department of Transportation Central District Commissioner Dick Hall, along with state Rep. Greg Snowden of Meridian, Marion Mayor Malcolm Threatt and other city and county officials, were among those who some months ago met at Engineering Plus, where Temple works.
Old U.S. 45, marked as Business U.S. 45, extends from the present four-lane U.S. 45 just north of Marion to Highway 39 in Meridian. Old U.S. 45 had been the main route from Marion to Meridian until the opening of the four-lane U.S. 45.
The superhighway bypasses Marion and Meridian, connects with Interstates 20/59 and extends through Clarke County. When the new U.S. 45 was opened in Lauderdale County, the part of the old road through Marion to Highway 39 was handed over to local control.
Temple said legislation was passed prohibiting MDOT from totally abandoning lengthy segments of state highways and roads. He said the possibility remained that MDOT could assume maintenance responsibility.
Temple said two facilities along the right-of-way are now closed, including a service station located near the interchange with the present U.S. 45.
He said MDOT "is looking into this and is evaluating it at the present time, and we're trying to determine improvements that can be made, at not too great of a cost, so that this road can revert back to MDOT maintenance," he said.
