NATCHEZ, Miss. – Work will begin soon to repair erosion that threatens Canal Street by the visitors center and could’ve caused that section to be closed to traffic for several months, said Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson.
Earlier assessments raised concerns that the busy thoroughfare could be blocked for six months, he said, but the Mississippi Department of Transportation has determined the erosion-control project can be done without such an imposition on traffic.
Meeting with the Natchez Board of Aldermen, the mayor noted the state owns the land where the erosion is occurring by the visitors center’s colonnade and Canal Street bridge. MDOT will be in charge of the project paid for with state funds. Work could begin in a couple of weeks as MDOT dumps riprap to curb the erosion on land that slopes into the deep ravine by the visitors center and bridge that crosses over a railroad track.
The erosion peril is one of “two very close calls” the past two years raising fears that Canal Street could be blocked off for traffic, Gibson said. The deteriorating Canal Street bridge needs to be replaced. Engineers say it only has about four years of life left.
The city last month did get $2 million from the U.S. Congress for building a replacement, but about $4 million more is needed, according to Gibson, who noted the additional dollars are being sought from Congress and the Mississippi Legislature.
All large vehicles were prohibited from crossing the much-traveled bridge in December 2023, when inspectors discovered corroded undergirdings that rendered it unsafe for heavy weight.
Repairs to the mid-1900s bridge restored its capacity for buses and fire trucks, but Natchez officials continue to ban 18-wheelers from the span. It’ll be impassable to all vehicles by 2030.
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