The Mississippi Children’s Museum and MDWFP’s Museum of Natural Science celebrated 100 magnolias planted at the LeFleur’s Bluff Complex in LeFleur’s Bluff State Park. (Courtesy: MCM)
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Congress passed the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Act as part of a six-bill appropriations package on Friday, March 8.
The bill includes $5 million of funding toward construction of a pedestrian bridge over Lakeland Drive.
“I’m grateful to Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith and Roger Wicker for leading the effort in the Senate and recognizing the importance of visionary projects that enhance access to our state’s top assets,” said Taylor Nicholas, executive director of the Great City Foundation. “This project will ultimately connect the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum to the Two Mississippi Museums downtown. It’s an important step toward a functional multi-use trail system that will provide a significant economic impact for our state’s capital city.”
The bridge is also an essential piece of the LeFleur’s Bluff Masterplan. More than $10 million of capital improvements have already been made and enjoyed by more than 750,000 visitors.
The Museum Trail is a multi-use trail and partial rail-to-trail project that has been constructed from downtown Jackson to LeFleur’s Bluff State Park. Officials said the planned bridge will safely extend and connect this system, enabling safe pedestrian passage across the busiest intersection in the state of Mississippi.
Future hopes for the trail include extending connectivity south and west through downtown Jackson beyond Jackson State University and north to eventually connect to trails in Ridgeland and Flowood.
Following Friday’s advancement, officials said community and state leaders will continue working toward making the bridge a reality, including requesting matching funds from the state legislature. In addition, the plans need final approval from the Mississippi Department of Transportation before construction can begin.
