Jackson Museum Trail Construction Begins

by Kayode Crown

The Jackson Museum Trail, a 2.5-mile, 10-foot wide multi-use path, stretching from downtown Jackson to Lakeland Drive, will enhance quality of life and spur economic growth, Clay Hays of Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership says.

Dozens of people gathered July 15 at the southern end of the Mississippi Farmers Market, near the intersection of North Jefferson Street and Mississippi Street, for the groundbreaking ceremony of the $1.6-million project. Neel-Schaffer Engineers designed the project, and Hemphill Construction has the contract to build it.

“We anticipate that the project will be completed by the end of October,” Hays, a cardiologist and vice president of the Jackson Heart Foundation, said.

“It’s something that is going to be a great boom for Jackson. Hundreds of people have participated in this project, people from the city, state, Mississippi Department of Transportation, Blue Cross (and) Blue Shield, the medical community, the schools.”

The trail will connect the Children’s Museum, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, the Mississippi Farmers Market on High Street and the Two Mississippi Museums.

“The Department of Transportation has been part of the project for 10 years to work to get resources, to work with the City of Jackson and all the other entities, both public and private, that have worked so hard to make this trail possible,” Central District Transportation Commissioner Willie Simmons said at the ceremony. “It is going to be very, very beneficial to the city of Jackson and to the state. I am so pleased as commissioner to be a part of the ceremony and part of the support system to do this.”

Construction should start this month. A volunteer effort to raise money to add amenities to the trail is ongoing.

Visit www.jxntrailblazers.com.