Hardy Street Reconstruction Underway - WHLT 22 Connecting the Pine Belt

Hardy Street Reconstruction Underway

City Engineer Bert Kuyrkendall says it's necessary to expand the street because of traffic jams over-flowing into highway 49. Drivers turning left on Hardy Street tend to back up traffic.

The city's solution a middle turn lane, but for the next four months drivers may be inconvenienced going back and forth.

"Right now it's a four lane with no median no division, so we have a lot of traffic back up when people want to turn left," says Kuyrkendall. They're adding a middle turn lane from Highway 49 to 21st Avenue.

Dunn Roadbuilders is constructing the 1 million dollar project.

"We're keeping one lane open going east bound and west bound throughout the project." The new lane will be added to the north side of Hardy. "When we finish and get everything striped out it will be two eastbound lanes, two westbound lanes and a middle turn lane."

Kurykendall says they're also adding sidewalks on each side of hardy running from 21st avenue to 49. The walk space is required by Hattiesburg's complete street ordinance "The whole idea behind complete streets is that it's not only cars that you're servicing but you're also servicing other modes of transportation."

If the weather allows construction should be complete by July.