FLOWOOD, MS — Officials joined Mississippi Transportation Commission Chairman Willie Simmons to cut the ribbon on the new State Route 477/West Rankin Parkway, now open for travel nearly a year and a half ahead of schedule.
The historic project has been in the works since 1992 and called for construction of 4 miles of four-lane highway connecting U.S. 80 in Pearl to State Route 468 in Flowood, Mississippi, greatly enhancing safety and connectivity across Rankin County. Construction also included grading, drainage, and bridge work. The nearly $60 million project was handled by Eutaw Construction Company, Inc.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on the Flowood side of the new West Rankin Parkway, nearly half a mile south of its intersection with SR 468/Flowood Drive. In addition to Simmons, speakers included Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann, Congressman Michael Guest, Senator Dean Kirby (who introduced the bill in 1992 as well as the subsequent bills to make the road a state highway), Representative Gene Newman, Flowood Mayor Kathy Smith, Pearl Mayor Jake Windham, former Flowood Mayor Gary Rhoads, and Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) Executive Director Brad White.
“This road will expand opportunities throughout the region by connecting two great communities in Pearl and Flowood to get you and your cargo to its destination more safely, economically, and efficiently," Simmons said. "I am so grateful to be able to cut ribbon nearly a year and a half early thanks to all players involved, from my predecessor, former Commissioner Dick Hall, Senator Kirby, and Eutaw Construction, to all the local stakeholders and MDOT staff in-between.”
The project began as a Local Public Agency project. MDOT’s involvement at that time was administering the necessary federal funds toward the local project. Later, dispersive soil was found throughout the project, forcing crews to go back and perform more dirt work, changing the overall project scope. That contract was terminated, which allowed MDOT to re-bid a different contract that included repairs to the roadbed and ultimately move forward to the paving phase and the roadway's opening.
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White noted the challenges involved with the project dating back over 30 years before Kirby and his colleagues in the legislature introduced legislation that deemed the route a state highway, giving Simmons and the Mississippi Transportation Commission the authority to add it to the MDOT capacity program, which allowed the department to take it on as a project.
“This upcoming session, it would be worth renaming this parkway the Dean Kirby Parkway,” White said.
