We believe the likely follow-on plans are to widen Atkinson Rd to a super 2 lane or 3 lane road.
The Gulf Regional Planning Commission (GRPC) has previously identified these projects in the Roadway Project Staged Improvement Program listed in the table below and has funded a study for the new connector and alternate truck route.
** Gulf Coast Area Transportation Study (GCATS)
Roadway Project Staged Improvement Program
253 Popps Ferry Rd. Extension (Pass Rd to US 90) .75mi$ 4,678,730
252 Popps Ferry Rd Bridge (New Bridge 4 - 6 lanes) 1.02mi 31,839,667
254 Popps Ferry Rd South (Bridge to Pass Rd.) .72mi 2,210,400
Popps Ferry Rd North (Bridge to Margaret Sherry) .??mi ?,???,???
256a WoolMarket to Popps Ferry Rd (4-6 lanes) 1.48mi 66,198,733
257 Atkinson Rd. (Popps Ferry to Jim Money(2 -3 lanes) .83mi 2,091,600
An Excerpt from the transportation section of the Vision 2020 Plan
MAJOR THOROUGHFARES PLAN
THE RECOMMENDED MAJOR THOROUGHFARES PLAN FOR BILOXI AND THE UNINCORPORATED BALANCE OF ITS ADJACENT PLANNING AREA IS ILLUSTRATED ON AN ACCOMPANYING DISPLAY MAP. THE GENERAL CONCEPT OF THE PLAN IS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL ROADWAY CAPACITY THROUGH A COMBINATION OF NEW ROAD CONSTRUCTION, CAPACITY ENLARGEMENT OF EXISTING ROADS, REDESIGNATION AND RECONFIGURATION OF ROADS FROM ONE FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION TO ANOTHER, REDEVELOPMENT OF THE POPP'S FERRY, BRIDGE TO OVERCOME ITS INHERENT PROBLEMS, CONSTRUCTION OF TWO ADDITIONAL MAJOR BRIDGES AND RAISED ROADWAYS AS NECESSARY TO CROSS WATER BODIES SEPARATING THE:.PENINSULA PORTION OF THE CITY FROM THE CEDAR LAKE AND WOOLMARKET INTERCHANGES WITH INTERSTATE 10, DEVELOPMENT OF RAILROAD GRADE SEPARATIONS AT ELEVEN LOCATIONS AND UPGRADING OF CITY REGULATIONS AND ROADWAY DESIGN…………
Note: Atkinson Rd and Old Bay will be designated collector roads.
