Main Street testing phase begins

Work crews were busy restriping the road Sunday morning as part of a project by the city.

Driving on Main Street has been slightly altered when going through downtown Tupelo, but the question on everyone's mind is for how long?

"[A] six-week trial period with this and then [the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association] will determine the test results and if they like it I think they'll keep it," says Chuck Williams, a street and drainage maintenance employee with the Tupelo Public Works Department. If not, we're going to come in here and pull all this stuff back up and go to four lane."

So when motorists are traveling through on Main Street, in addition to noticing it has gone from four lanes to three lanes, one of the big changes is bike paths being put in, one on each side.

"Eight-feet parking, four-foot bike lanes, and that's going to be all the way down from Elizabeth Street to Green Street," adds Williams. "It's going to be like that all the way down."

Residents who live in the downtown area are optimistic about the change and are hopeful more business will come to fruition.

"I think it will bring some business to downtown," says Jack Derreberry, Tupelo resident. Especially to some of the restaurants and bars and stuff, you know. We'll give it a shot, see how it works out. You know, I'm open to anything."

So for Tupelo Public Works and Tupelo Water & Light it's about staying on course to slightly alter the course you now have to take.

"[We're going to] try to complete the project so traffic won't have any problems gettting used to it," adds Williams. "[Hopefully] we won't have any accidents. I want my guys to be out of the road, too, you know. That's why were here on Sunday morning because [of] all the [usual] traffic downtown, so we're just trying to be safe, number one."

Members of the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association, Community Development Foundation and engineers with Transportation Consultants will be monitoring the flow of traffic, starting Monday.