OLIVE BRANCH, MS (abc24.com) - They're getting out the trucks and pavers in Olive Branch. The city's out to please drivers, tackling several new road projects.
Work will begin in the next few weeks. The city's spending several hundred thousand dollars to create a more pleasant driving experience through town.
"They like to ride on smooth roads, so we're going to repair bad spots make them smoother and make everything better," Mayor Sam Rikard says.
They're putting the brakes on bumps and rough riding. No more jostles or uneven pavement. Olive Branch is set to begin work on more than half a dozen roads.
"It's some major roadways, heavily traveled roadways," Rikard says. The seven or eight projects are spread throughout the county.
"First recommendations come from the city engineer and street department based on what they've seen. These roads were actually chosen by board of aldermen," Rikard tells abc24.com.
Craft, Davidson and Pleasant Hill Roads were chosen, along with two of the town's main thoroughfares.
"I guess the busiest one would be Hacks Cross Road from Goodman road north to the state line. Then Highway 178 through the middle part of town has bumps at every concrete joint. They're going to be milled out, smoothed over and repaired."
Rikard says expect to see changes soon. The city wants things fixed this fall.
"We're intent on getting them done before the weather gets too cold to put pavement down. We should see most of the work done in the next month and a half."
The city's spending about $350,000. Rikard says they'd like to do a complete overhaul in some places, but that would cost millions, out of the budget.
