Students who usually take Blackjack Road to or from campus can attest to the standstill traffic and heavy congestion of that thoroughfare. In addition, the current road construction is sure to create even more exasperation among drivers. However, the construction project is the first part of a long-range plan to widen the road that connects the north and south sides of campus along the eastern border.
“Blackjack Road is a major entrance to the campus, and it has a serious problem with traffic congestion,” Joe Farris, assistant to the president and director of university relations, said. “The current road construction will turn the road into a three-lane (road), with a new surface as well.”
Farris said the middle turning lane will relieve much of the traffic problems on the east side of campus. This is only one phase of the long-range goals for Blackjack Road.
“Right now, we are building a road bed to accommodate five lanes of traffic, so that in the distant future, we can adapt the road accordingly,” Farris said. “In the longrun, we hope to have an efficient beltway of major roads encircling campus. So far, the only missing link is along the east side of campus.”
Another important part of the project deals with the intersection between Magruder, Blackjack and Oktoc roads. Instead of a dangerous and inefficient three-way stop, a round-about will be established. Akin to the system used at the Jackson International Airport, the round-about will allow drivers to yield to it, then enter into the counter-clockwise-moving, circular path until coming to the road onto which they would like to exit onto. Farris said he hopes this will alleviate traffic problems and prevent future accidents.
Courtney Chailland, a junior who frequently drives through the confusing and dangerous intersection, said, “I think the round-about will definitely make things easier on the students who are trying to get somewhere in a hurry. That’s always where I get stuck in traffic, especially coming off campus.”
The road construction will extend to the Locksley Way intersection (the street that runs in front of the Polos and connects to U.S. Highway 25), and it is being sponsored by the university and funded by a state bond issue.
However, past that intersection, Blackjack Road is no longer outside the city limits and becomes Spring Street. Starkville also has plans to widen its portion of Spring Road, but they are not near the construction phase yet.
“I am excited about the new construction, even though it may cause temporary hassles,” Stacy Buse, an off-campus sophomore, said. “It’s nice to know that our administration is looking out for the longrun future of MSU. It will be really convenient to have a three-lane to school.